The Vampire Aoshi
by tesuka- chan
Summary: Aoshi, a VERY serious vampire sees Misao one night and decides to have her. The very clueless and silly Misao doesn't understand him. Some accidents, silly moments, and well... just plain weird. ^_^ *COMPLETE!* (evil end... mwahaha! )
1. Default Chapter

Author's notes: WHOOO!!! My first ficcy! *dances around looking like a lunatic* ahhh well… I wasn't really planning on writing a ficcy (ever) 'coz I'm the sort of person who reads, and reads, and reads…  
But then, I got this super duper funny idea and it kept on nagging at me so… here it is! Enjoy! READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!!! *grin grin*  
  
Disclaimer: ooohhh yeah… almost forgot I certainly do not own Rouroni Kenshin but I have a sort of obsession with it.. ehehehe… (hey, I can't help it! None of us can, ne? teeheehee.. ^_^)  
  
  
  
The Vampire Aoshi  
By Tesuka-chan  
  
"Darn it all," she shivered. Looking like a drowned rat dressed in a blue prom dress, her long black hair plastered to her face and neck and her mascara running down her face, her blue eyes scanned the dense forest in front of her. The rain is pouring hard and the night sky is ominously dark and eerie, with no light whatsoever.   
  
"Okay, either I go to this really creepy forest or I face those drunk jerks." She sighed.  
  
"Hey," a low drunk voice shouted, not too far behind her, "where's that bitch?"  
  
"Ow!" another voice rasped out.  
  
"Hey, watch where you goin'!"  
  
"I'm watchin' man!"  
  
"Well, you're obviously not watchin' closely!"  
  
The girl sighed again and started trekking over huge roots that can easily be mistaken as snakes and abnormally large ferns that can only be found in that part of the country. She hurried her steps as she heard them getting closer.   
"I wonder how those jerks could even walk in their state…" she trudged on.   
  
Whoosh!  
  
"What was that?" The girl stopped and caught her breath. "I should've lost them by now…" She trembled. Wrapping her shawl more tightly around her, she hitched up her skirts and began running frantically deeper into the woods, stumbling on rocks, her clothes tearing on pointed branches. Panting deeply, She hid under the shade of an old willow tree and waited.  
  
And waited.  
She sat down, her hand resting lightly on one particularly large root and felt something… slimy.   
  
"Yuck!" She quickly drew her hand away and glimpsed at her hand. "What's this? What the…" Blood red.  
  
"No… Oh no… this can't be happening to me," her voice trembled and she gulped, peeping at the other side of the tree. There was a strange hunched- like shape, and as she looked more closely, she recognized the form. A boy. Wet and shivering with cold, barely wearing anything but tattered clothes and faded jeans. The boy sensed another presence, and he looked up at the girl. She gasped. The most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen. And the coldest. His face was pale marble, with finely cut aristocratic cheekbones and disheveled short hair. Certainly, the most handsome boy she'd ever come across.   
  
"Help me please," He whispered softly, painfully, as if the hardest thing in life is to speak. He looked at her throat, her pretty face, her stricken huge eyes. "I'm so hungry… please, help."  
  
Her panic abated and he heart moved with pity. "I'll get you to a hospital, don't worry." She moved closer to him, as if to comfort him… "don't worry, I'm here…"  
  
The boy then suddenly shifted and leaped at her throat. A surprised sound turned to a bloodcurdling terrifying scream. He started tearing at her flesh with vampire teeth, glistening with fresh blood. His food and drink. His life source.   
  
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!   
  
  
  
  
A/n: whahahahaha!!! Not bad for a first timer, eh? Hey don't worry! It's not gonna turn out as bad as you think it will.. I hope! *Tesuka-chan crossed her fingers* Ahhh well! Ill write another chapter later or something… *grumble* stupid sister needing to use the computer… *grumble*… ja ne! :P  
  
p.s please read and review!!! ^_^ 


	2. creature of the night

Author's notes: Konnichiwa minna-san!!! ^_^ hallo! Well, to be honest, I don't really know where this is going so I'm open to any ideas! I just sort of acted out of impulse… ehehehe… :P well, here's the next chapter! Hope you like it!

Oh, thanks for all the reviews! Diablo, Mae, and lebleuphenix… well, I haven't really figured out things yet.. thanks for the ideas! ^_^ Noa- yeah, I love vampires tooooo!!! And such creatures of the night… *bwahahaha!*. Wow, thanks a lot Yui Shinomori! I'm truly flattered! :D I'll check out your ficcies sometime… THANKS A LOT! ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and its characters. D*mn.

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Misao let out a blood- curdling scream as she watched the poor girl in the television being ravaged by the vampire. "Nooooooo!! That can't happen to her! She's the protagonist for goodness' sake!! Argh!" The angry girl threw a crumpled popcorn bag towards the screen. As the advertisements rolled by, she stomped off to her small kitchen to make more popcorn.

Angrily punching the numbers in the microwave oven, Misao quickly calmed down and pondered on her newly acquired apartment. _I'm so proud of myself. _She thought. _After years of hard work, I've finally got my own place and I'm a successful and independent woman! I'm never going back to that dump again! _She sighed. TOOT!

As she took out the freshly popped batch, she began fixing and melted butter for the popcorn. She remembered the time when she had to almost beg and grovel just to get some measly amount of food. _I was cold, empty, and hungry, _Misao remembered her childhood all too well. _Come to think of it, I was just like that cute vampire guy in the show._ She shook her head. For goodness' sakes, she's already 20! Some things are better left forgotten.

Armed with her precious junk food and other things essential for a perfect movie, she went back to her living room and dumped it all in front of her. "Now let's see what happened to that girl!" Excited and dying to know what happens next, she reached out for the remote control to increase the volume when…

*BLACKOUT!*

"AARRRRGGGHHHH!!! That was my favorite show!!!!" Misao exclaimed. "There's no reruns for this one! Damn it!!!" She groped for the flashlight that she always keep with her for emergencies. _Slime._

"What the…!" Quickly pulling her hand away, she fumbled on the flashlight that she finally found and switched it on. She pointed it to her hands. _Blood._

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!" 

The frantic girl began dancing around and shaking her hands like a lunatic. She knocked things off, tripped over her slippers, and finally landed on her butt with a loud THUD. The sticky substance in her hands flew everywhere. Some of IT landed on her clothes, hair, and lips. 

"Hey," she paused and tasted it. "it's ketchup! Hahahaha!! So much ado about nothing, how annoying!" Calming her racing heartbeat, she lay down on the floor, not minding the mess all around her. "Gosh, I guess that show really got in my nerves me." She muttered, sighed, and closed her eyes, resting for a bit but eventually falling asleep.

* * *

Aoshi strolled on the streets of Tokyo languorously. He stopped in front of a certain club with a dirty reputation. His cold eyes glinted dangerously and his silky black hair rippled in the soft night breeze. He stood out in the crowd not only because of his height but also because of his unnatural good looks with his simple, yet stylish clothes. All in mysterious black. 

__

This'll do, he decided. He entered the club and almost immediately, girls with skimpy clothes and gaudy make-up swarmed over him.

"My, aren't you a handsome one!"

"He's so tall!"

"Wow, muscles! Men like you don't usually go to a place like this," one particular woman leered at him. " Have problems darlin'? Maybe I could help…" she fluttered her eyelashes at him. 

Aoshi, disgusted, masked his face and smiled at the woman. He remembered the orders clearly. _Keep a low profile. The mortals are too scared and they might do something rash that might affect us. Keep it low until we find the vagabond. _He shook his head and took the loose woman's hand. _Hmph… guess I'll have to stick with these kind of people, _he rationalized.

"C'mon. Let's go back to my place." He softly suggested.

"Whatever you want, honey. It'll cost you though." The woman winked. 

__

It wouldn't cost me a penny. "Sure, whatever."

He led her out to his sleek, black Ferrari.

Hours later, Aoshi stopped the car by the forest. The woman looked at him curiously, and then seductively. "Hmmm…. You must be really rich to be able to afford to live in an isolated place like this." Her hand snaked its way to his chest. 

He faced her and what she saw froze her amorous advances. Eyes so cold, it seems silvery in the moonlight, and a smile that was so terrifyingly evil that she shivered. 

"Cold?"

"Well… umm…" She couldn't speak.

"Why don't we go outside and breathe some fresh air?"

"S-sure, whatever you want." She composed herself and stepped out to the forest in her high heels, mini skirt and tube top. Her gold hoop earrings dangled and glinted. She went directly to him, hips swaying and a seductive smile plastered on her face. "Where do you want to go?"

"Run."

She stared. All pretenses gone and a terrified expression on her face. "Wha-what?"

He smiled. Baring his teeth. His long, growing ivory teeth. His features shifted and became more sharp, and if possible, more handsome. His eyes, she was certain, was glinting dangerously silver. She screamed. 

"Run." 

She wasn't thinking. She ran to the forest, stumbling on the overgrown weeds and plants. Vines were trying to strangle her and evil, red eyes peeped out from the bushes and trees. It was so dark, so very dark in some creepy corners. A heel broke. She could feel her own heart thudding against her chest, she could hear the movement in the air as some unknown creature flies over her head. She made a sharp turn to her right and stopped. She gasped and uttered a low, helpless cry.

He was in front of her, leaning calmly against a tree, looking so terrifyingly handsome.

"How did you…"

"Never mind that. You mortals are so pathetic. I didn't even break a sweat." Aoshi strode towards her. She took a step backward. "You're no fun. You live your poor lives, just like rats, groveling and digging yourself deeper into your pitiful selves." He spat. He stared at her and smiled cynically. "You should even thank me for being so merciful, ending your life early so you won't bear more of this shit."

The woman cried pathetically, sliding down the tree, sitting and avoiding his stare. "I don't want to die! I don't want to!" She sobbed. 

"Too bad," the dark creature murmured, "you don't have a choice." He smiled ferrally at her, showing once again his long, beautiful teeth. The last thing she ever saw before he bit her long neck was his cold blue eyes, showing no mercy, no mercy at all. 

* * *

TBC

A/n: Hey is that cool or what?! *rejoices around with confetti* I can't believe I was able to write this! Darn it all… it was supposed to be funny… *sigh* guess I have to change the category. Drat. O well!!! * runs around the room happily* please READ AND REVIEW!!! ^_^


	3. dressed to kill

Author's notes: Hello, hello!!! ^_^ Yay! I've got another chapter in my head! *whoo!* hrrrmm.. just hope it'll come out okay. Oh well, thanks to:

Diablo: well, yeah it was a movie all along I guess.. hehehe. Sorry to burst your bubble! 

Yui Shinomori: Thanks! *grin* I'll try my best to write this chapter! This one's the part when they.. oops! No spoilers! ;p

DarkFairy: hahaha! Well, you want him, you got him! (actually, I want him too! Hehe!)

Noa: I liked that part too. I wasn't actually going to put that but it just struck me like a stone from heaven! *owww*… well, I thought you'd like to see how cold he is at first; then again, we all KNOW that he is really cold…

The *Spangled* Pandemonium: Wow thanks! *grin* hmmm.. what does your name mean? It's very interesting.. 

Kaoru no hoshi: *clears throat* Uhhhh… do I know you? (nyehehehe) *looks around suspiciously* shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! Don't say a word! ;p

Yay! I'm so happy happy happy! *grins from ear to ear* lalalalala.. oh well, without much further ado, here's the 3rd chappie! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor will I ever own it! *sob sob*

****

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

Misao touched her amber pendant, groggily opened her eyes and found herself lying on her living room floor. 

__

Wha- ? 

She sat up and observed her surroundings with confused, misty blue eyes. The television was turned on, the loud babbling of the Teletubbies penetrated her weary mind. _Yuck… I wonder how people could stand those disgusting monsters from babybabble land._ She shuddered and stood up. Various kinds of junk food were strewn around-- soggy popcorn scattered everywhere, a spill of coke on one side of the table, and bits of ketchup here and there. _Wait a minute… ahh! The ketchup! _She chuckled and started cleaning up the mess she created when her doorbell rang.

__

*Ding Dong!*

Argh! Who, in their right mind, would visit me early this morning!? Damn it… wiping her hands on her denim jeans and old, baggy shirt, the tired girl trudged towards her apartment door. _This'll better be good, or else I'll strangle, torture, and slowly burn to death whoever's…_

"Misao! Open up, Weasel! We have some SERIOUS shopping to do today!"

Misao moaned. _Ah well, I guess I'm the one being tortured today… _"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" 

Immediately after Misao slipped the lock and turned the knob, a tall, beautiful woman with long black hair, pale skin and a red mouth breezed through the door, somehow doing it elegantly and with much poise. Stylishly dressed in a green silk day dress and high heels, nothing less could be expected from Takane Megumi.

"C'mon! Did you forget our arrangement today, Misao? We're going shopping!" Megumi exclaimed as she assessed her friend. "Tsk tsk! This is going to be a serious matter… we're going to have to go to the parlor too and trim your hair. Honestly, my dear, although you have beautiful hair, you cannot flaunt your best feature if you keep it like that…" Megumi smiled slyly. "Or maybe you have a man in there, that's why you look so tousled up! OHOHOHOHO!" 

Misao blushed profusely. "Nani?! Hey Fox- girl! You're picking a fight with the wrong girl at a very wrong time!" she declared, her eyes clearing up and throwing sparks at the tall woman. 

This was the scene in Misao's apartment when Kamiya Kaoru walked in. She sighed. _Nothing unusual going on, I guess. _She sighed again as she kept her car keys in her purse. "Now, now people, we are very civilized and controlled grown adults here, aren't we?" 

__

I should've leapt at her throat and strangled her to death before Kaoru came in! The petite girl thought as she held up her head and stomped off to her bathroom. 

Megumi had a smug smile on her face. Kaoru glared at her. "You know mornings aren't her particular favorite times! You should've controlled yourself, Megumi!" 

"Oh, but it was so much fun miffing her! Besides, we'll be late if she dallied any longer."

"Give her a break… It's her birthday tomorrow and she's feeling extra- grumpy."

"Hmph! Well it's high time for her to grow up and be a mature, sophisticated and beautiful woman- not as great as me though… OHOHOHOHO!"

The newly dressed and refreshed Misao entered her living room. Dressed comfortably in denim pants and a ninja-style blouse, she put on her sneakers and got her bag. "Well? Are we going?"

Kaoru chuckled. Her old dear friend still surprises her sometimes. Grumpy and uncooperative at one second, calm and controlled at the next. She shook her head. She remembered how strong Misao was to be able to go through all those problems. _And now, she's really successful and self- confident. I'm so proud of her. _She straightened out her blouse and thigh- length skirt. " Coming…"

Megumi sniffed and held her head high, chin up, and straightened her back and shoulders. Although she does torture her beloved friend, she's just doing that to snap her out of her memories and be the lively girl she knows. She loves her very much and thinks of her as a little sister. She sighed. _Maybe I'm hanging around her too much. This has a bad effect on me… _she sighed again.

"Oh, I thought Ms. Shop-a-holic's the one who's excited about this."

Megumi's ears perked up and her dark eyes threw daggers at her companion as they walked towards Kaoru's car. "Well, someone HAS to take care of you," she said haughtily, "you don't have any sense of fashion whatsoever."

"Why you fox- face…!"

"I'm not completely mean you know. I help the poor, destitute souls of this world through the sharing of my knowledge of fashion."

"Why I oughtta…!"

"Why, Misao- chan, you're very welcome!"

"Maa maa… Now you two! Stop squabbling in the middle of the street! We have a job to do and a mission to complete!" Kaoru cuts in before anything quite… serious… might happen. 

The two turned at her, their eyes having the same mischievous gleam. The pony- tailed girl took one cautious step backwards.

"Well, Jou- chan, I think squabbling out here in the streets is much safer than riding in your car."

"I remembered that poor cat from last time.. such a pity! Oh poor kitty!"

"And that garbage can from last week? That was quite nerve-wracking."

"Oh… I can't bear another 'accident'! it rips me to shreds whenever I think of it!" Misao feigned a faint and swayed around the sidewalk, looking more like a drunk rather than a stricken patient. "Oh doctor Megumi! Please heeeeelllppp meee…" 

"Ohohohoho! Don't worry Misao, I'll give you a prescription for a strong pain- killer. It'll help you very much! Ohohohoho!" 

Kaoru went pale and then furiously red. It wasn't her fault that the cat crossed just when she was swerving. And who puts garbage can on those places anyway? The sidewalk is not for garbage cans. "Oh shut up! You're just a bunch of kids hiding inside women clothes! humph!"

Misao dramatically collapsed at the backseat while Megumi slid into the passenger seat with a grin on her face and kept laughing like a woman version of Santa Clause. Kaoru rigidly sat on the driver's seat, vowing to be extra careful this time around. 

The petite black haired girl peeped at her friends in the front seat. She was very lucky to have them, the best of friends. Through good times and bad. _I don't know what I'll do without them They're family to me… like sisters. _She smiled and squeezed her eyes shut as the car jolted and jerked. _I swear, this is so much better than a roller coaster! Hahaha! _

__

The next night…

I'm dressed to kill… Misao thought as she stared at her reflection on her full- length mirror. _I daresay, Megumi can do wonders! I could never imagine I'd look this… pretty!_

Wearing a white asymmetric top with a bit of ruffle at the sloping part, a short plaid skirt not quite reaching her knees, and tall black boots, she was ready to party. Her hair was stylishly braided and bangs flitted away from her face, a bit of make-up enhanced her eyes and cheekbones, and a pair of dangling earrings glittered on her ears. She put on her finishing touch— her precious amber pendant dangling from a black choker band. _I can't believe this… I feel just like Cinderella! Urk… alert! Alert! You're creeping yourself out too much…_ she shook her head and went out to her car to go and meet her friends in the club. _Hmmm.. what was it called? Oh yeah! The Black Rose. Quite gothic, yet funky.. I like it! _She shivered in excitement as she drove away. 

* * *

Aoshi Shinomori nodded to the bouncer as he entered the crowded place. It was always like this. So many people, all so ethereally beautiful and mysterious. Somehow, it became famous with the mortals. He snickered. _They never really know what kinds of evils are lurking around the corner. _His eyes scanned the crowd for a certain spiked haired, tall man. He spotted him almost immediately at one side with a group, flirting with a beautiful woman, long- haired, long- legged, and wearing a flimsy red dress. _Ah, just his type. _He sauntered across the room towards the group. 

"Aoshi! How're ya my old friend!" Sagara Sanosuke grinned like the devil as his friend approached him. "Haven't seen you for a long time! Where've you been?"

"Here and there."

Sano chuckled. Just like him to answer like that. He patted the beautiful woman beside him. "These are my newly- acquired friends… Aoshi, meet Megumi, Kaoru, and… well, Misao's somewhere around here. I found them outside, and since Bunce there didn't want to let these beautiful girls in, I escorted them inside," he grinned good-naturedly.

Cold blue- green eyes boldly roamed over the one called Megumi. _Hmm.. not bad. Very beautiful and sophisticated. But Sano already has his eyes on her and I know better than to fight him over a human girl. _He looked over at the one with the ponytail, gracefully swept up to reveal a long neck. She was wearing a long- sleeved hanging peasant blouse and stylish black tight- fitting pants. _This one's pretty too. She'll do for now. _

As he sauntered over to Kaoru, someone bumped into to him, a girl barely reaching his chin. Startled, he looked down and saw the most beautiful and clear huge blue eyes staring right back at him. Her face was framed with little wisps of her shiny black hair. Her mouth slightly parted in surprise. The look of perfect innocence. His breath was caught in his throat, his eyes not being able to tear away from those blue orbs. _Well, well, _he thought, _what do we have here?_

* * *

A/n: *nyahahahahahaha!!!* I decided to cut it there first because I'm sooo damned sleepy I could hardly see my fingers! *yawn* secondly, I guess I just wanted to end it like this. Besides, it's too long already! *yawn yawn* darn… gotta go. I have school tom. Oh well! Hope you liked it! Please READ AND REVIEW! ^_^

p.s. Sorry guys.. I fixed it! I guess I was really stressed last night… teeheehee ^_^. I confuse my animals… *grin* thanks for all the help! J 


	4. hunter or hunted?

Author's notes: Hello minna-san! Argh! STRESSS!! ~_~ I swear… one day, I'm gonna die because of stress… *garrrrrgghhh*

Ahh… just one thing, Aoshi has some real cool supernatural powers as a vampire such as being able to erase memories, being a telepath, superhuman strength, and of course, immortal life. I based this on Lisa Jane Smith's series of books, Night World. (they're the best of the best of the best… you get the picture *grin grin*)

Anyway, I'm really, REALLY grateful for all the encouraging reviews! Makes me want to write more… *hint hint* So to the following people:

Lebleupheni_x-_ yeah! Well, it is in his character, isn't it? Plus, he's a vampire. What do you expect? Hehehe… Don't worry, something will happen. *grins mysteriously*. Oh, and sorry for the nicknames thing… my mistake. :P

Gochan- hey! I owe you a lot… I absolutely forgot unblocking that… *I am absolutely careless* thanks! Oh, and don't worry, I'm definitely going to put something of that nature in this story. Maybe a couple (or more) times. hEh.

Anime-no-Atama- glad you like it! Hope you like this one too!

Diablo- thanks so much for reminding me! I guess I was really sleepy already at that time… ;p

The *Spangled* Pandemonium- cool… that's some kind of a name- Nice irony! Thanks! I couldn't very well NOT include the others, ne? It's just going to be a hard thing to put their stories all together… sort of like 3 stories in one. *shakes head* sheesh, what have I put myself into?! Hehe.. 

DarkFairy- thanks! I guess I try to write my thoughts as fast as I can so I wouldn't forget my BRILLIANT ideas.. mwahahaha!

Noa- Hey! Belated Happy birthday! wow… you're already 21! Cool! *sprinkles confetti over noa's head* your bday sort of coincides with misao's.. if I've written this sooner! Hehe.. Ü Oh, don't worry, he's not gonna stay that for long. Hopefully. 

Kagero- well, thanks for cheering me on! Though in a sort of violent way… *sweatdrop*

Kats- whoa! I only have two hands and a load of projects and homework! Really? A dorm room full of girls reading my ficcy??? *blush* well… I'll try my best! 

Nekonomiko- thanks! Well, I've always loved vampires and stuff… *grin*

Kawaii sakura-chan- hehehe… that was my intention- to make him look really scary and cold. I'll try to put a bit of k/k here… though don't expect anything big! I want to concentrate more on Misao and Aoshi and this guy named *toot* (teeheehee..)

*gaahh* I hope I could write this properly! Any suggestions are welcome! (I'm sort of running out of ideas… ) Well, I think this is long enough… here's chapter 3! ^_^

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is not mine, nor the ideas I used from L.J. Smith's books, Night World. (sorry! I forgot to put this before so please don't sue me!!!)

Dedication: This is for my sick friend-- a bloodsucker made her sick. Not a vampire though (how she wish!) a mosquito! Now she has Dengue fever L . Get well soon!

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

__

*Oooof!*

"Oops! Sorry! I didn't see you there!" Misao cheerily, albeit slurry, said as she looked up to the face of the person she bumped into. _Hmmm… what cold eyes you have! _She thought as she stared into the deep blue- green eyes of the stranger in front of her. "Well, hello there," she giggled at the stranger. 

"Hey Ms. Misao!" a low voice shouted from the other end of the room, "here's your drink!"

Misao watched in amusement as the psychiatrist she met in the bar earlier moved towards her and the stranger beside her. He stumbled clumsily, almost falling, but was able to stick his foot in front of him just in time to save himself and the two martinis he was holding. The slick- haired man with medium height and donned in an expensive Gucci suit visibly composed himself and started towards them again. He plastered a smile on his face and directed it to Misao. She giggled again.

"Ah, here's your martini Ms. Misao," Tanuka the psychiatrist said almost breathlessly as he handed one glass to the still giggling Misao.

"Thanks a lot." The already slightly drunk woman took a sip.

"So… who is this with you?" Tanuka inquired, looking over the taller handsome stranger. "Is he a friend?"

"Ohhh… ahhh…" Misao scrounged up her face, "I sort of bumped into wall and he was suddenly here … hmmm… I don't really know I guess." She sighed and tipped up the glass and drank the rest of the drink.

"Actually, she bumped into ME." the tall stranger intervened. "I think she's slightly drunk. I'm Aoshi by the way. Aoshi Shinomori." He shook hands with Tanuka and looked directly in his dark eyes. His eyes changed color from a light shade of blue-green to an intense silvery green. "So, how do you know each other?"

Tanuka blinked, shook his head as if trying to remember something. _What the- huh? _He shook his head again and looked at Aoshi. He saw silvery green eyes and his mind became completely blank. " I—I don't know… I don't believe I know her."

Misao raised her misty eyes and was stunned out of her stupor. 

"Well, I—uh… please excuse me. I… I seem to have a… a throbbing headache." Tanuka put his hand on his head and shook his head. He nodded to them and left abruptly.

"Now, what d'ya do that for?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"You know very well what I mean," Misao irritatingly pointed out, "you did something to him… you sort of erased his memory or something." She got another martini from a passing waiter and gulped it all down.

Aoshi stiffened. He forced his body to relax. _She's just a good observer, that's all._ "I did no such thing, besides, he had a headache. Maybe that made him forget about some things."

"Well, that guy wash perfectly fine jusht a few minutsh ago." she argued, "I know what I shaw… and you did shomthing to him." Her words slurred and she started walking away from the eccentric man named Aoshi and towards the group where her friends are. _I shwear, this guy'sh creepy… _She stumbled on her high boots. 

__

Ooops! Damn it… The now seriously drunk girl fell forward… and strong capable arms caught her, brought her up easily and led her to a soft couch. 

"I think you've had one drink too many." Aoshi put her head back and dipped a napkin on some ice cold water. "I take it that you're not very used to alcohol." He squeezed most of the water out and patted the cool linen to Misao's forehead. 

__

Oooh, that feels nice. Misao sighed. "Well, I only drink once in a while." She tried to sit up, her eyes spewing sparks. "And I do have a very valid reason for getting drunk anyway. It's my 21st birthday tomorrow and I'm going to celebrate until I collapse!" Then, she collapsed.

Laughter can be heard, coming nearer to the two. Megumi giggled and turned towards them, "Misao, you won't believe this, Sano here was telling me about…" She paused, took one look at the sleeping girl, and giggled again. "Poor, poor Misao, she never really could tolerate alcohol that well. Darn, I guess I'll have to go and take her home. I don't know where Kaoru is… I think she went outside with that smooth- talking cutie. Oh well." 

"Hey now," Sano drawled, "why go home so early just because of your friend? We haven't finished our discussion yet." He smiled. "Let my friend Aoshi there take her home. I do believe it won't be any trouble at all, will it my friend?"

"No, not at all." Aoshi returned coolly at Sano.

Megumi looked doubtful at first. Still, not wanting to end the night so early and enjoying so much the companionship of the hunk beside her, she hesitatingly agreed. "Well, okay then. Here's her address and her key can be found in her purse. I'm so sorry that she's so much trouble." She smiled apologetically. 

"It's fine. I've already helped her this far, why not go all the way?" He smiled charmingly at her. 

They brought her to Aoshi's car, Aoshi carrying the sleeping girl easily.

Reassured, the lady doctor turned her attentions back to Sano. Before walking away, she tossed back at the blue- eyed man, "Hey, just watch out that YOU don't get hurt. She's a tornado when she wakes up, especially if someone disturbs her sleep. Trust me, you don't want to know." She gave him a smile and faced Sano, strolling back towards the club.

__

She has some spirit, how very interesting. Aoshi smiled evilly. _I like some spirit in my victims._ He drove away.

Upon arriving in the given address, Aoshi lifted the girl up with no effort at all and brought her up the stairs and inside the apartment. He laid her in her couch and took a seat in a chair in front of her. He observed her, sleeping peacefully, taking even breaths. His eyes roamed over her face, lightly applied with make- up, just the right amount to enhance her already pretty face. His gaze went over her body, nicely rounded on just the right places. _Petite, yet very beautiful and innocent._ He waited.

She felt something, a prickling at the back of her neck, like a feeling that she was being watched. She surfaced from her peaceful slumber, fluttered her eyes open and looked at her surroundings. She's in her apartment. _Now how did I get here? I thought I was in the club with this psychiatrist guy…_ she sat up and saw him staring at her. All of it came rushing back to her with an intense throbbing headache. She moaned.

He expected surprise, confusion, and most of all fear. He never expected the electric blue sparks of her eyes as she pointedly stared at him, anger clearly written all over her face and body language. She winced as she held her head, but her eyes are more intense than ever.

"You! Why are you here?" She spat out, "do you think you could just bring me here, invite yourself over and… and… expected something to happen? I don't think so!" 

He stayed silent.

Her face reddened.

"How dare you come here and take advantage of me! I don't even know you!" She fumed and stomped over to him, intending to strike his expressionless face with her open palm. He stopped her left hand with his right hand and grasped her wrist. She gasped.

He stood up and towered over her, a cold smile touching his lips. His eyes turning completely silver. He took a step forward her. "I always liked women with spirit. Makes the hunt better." He smirked and leaned closer to her.

*_OOOOOF!!!*_

A/n: ahahahahahaha!! *smiles evilly* let's stop it here for now… *teeheehee* urf… *stretch* Argh! It's already 12:35! I got carried away… oh well! The chapters seems to be getting longer and longer. Don't worry, I'll try to write soon. 'Tis the weekend, after all. *grin grin* (I love onomatopoeic words!) Ah! Time to go! Please READ AND REVIEW! Thanks! ^_^

p.s. To K/K and M/S fans out there, don't worry, I'll put 'em in the next chapter. :P


	5. sparks and fights

Author's notes: Hallo Hallo again! Aaaahhhh, 'tis a nice long weekend isn't it? *grin grin* Hmmm now where was I? Oh yes! I was about to continue my story. Hrrmmm… but before that, I want to thank you all for the great reviews!!! ^_^

Lebleuphenix: yeah! Misao is a bit weird when drunk. *teeheehee* As for Aoshi, well, I guess you'll just have to find out in this chapter! ;P

Neko-chan and Jenn: Thanks a lot! I'm glad you like it! ^_^ I try to make Aoshi look really hot.. as a vampire… *thinks of a very hot, very tall blue –eyed vampire.. aaahh!! Drool!*

Noa- so sorry for putting a cliffhanger.. I can't help it… it's so tempting and so very satisfying for me! *sigh* but I guess I'll try to lessen cliffhangers. *grin*

DarkFairy: Thanks! I truly appreciate your reviews! Gives me inspiration! :P and I read your ficcy, it's really great! Hope you'll continue it! ^_^

Diablo: Yes, I'm very evil… *mwahahaha!*

Kawaii sakura- chan- yeah, I sort of thought of 'lil red riding hood while I was writing that… hehehe. Just to add something amusing.

Anime-no-Atama- thanks for reviewing! Well, here's the next one! ;p

Saicho-18- yeah.. well, I'm sort of making this a very unusual ficcy. I try to make it as original as possible. (",)

Oh yeah, for the K/K and S/M, I might write another separate ficcy for each of them. I want to concentrate more on Misao and Aoshi. Though I'll probably mention them sometimes in this story. Of course, I'll need to for my plot. *grins mischievously*

Well, Here it is! Ü

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

__

He stood up and towered over her, a cold smile touching his lips. His eyes turning completely silver. He took a step forward her. "I always liked women with spirit. Makes the hunt better." He smirked and leaned closer to her.

*OOOOOF!!!*

*Ooooof!*

"Agh!" Aoshi exclaimed as Misao's knee connected with his stomach. He immediately backed up as Misao started striking him with her bare hands. _Damn, for a small person, she could pack a punch! And I haven't taken my fill yet… _He heard his stomach grumble. 

Misao paused and panted, hands clenched and positioned in front of her, poised and ready to fight. "I'll have you know, I took lessons in the ninja arts and kickboxing. I'm not easily intimidated by the likes of you!" she calmly declared.

Aoshi chuckled and stood straight. "Well," he drawled, "I guess I'll have to take drastic measures then." 

He lunged at her.

The perked up girl anticipated this, although she'd never seen anybody move so fast. She moved aside just in time, avoiding his attack, and sent and overhead kick at the surprised vampire. Aoshi turned under the kick and faced Misao, his eyes glinting silver, not a hair out of place, not one crease on his black clothes. "Not bad, little girl." He smirked. 

Panting heavily and face red with livid anger, Misao moved slightly back, bumping into her coffee table where a couple of ninja knives were displayed. Her hand reached her back and felt for these. _Perfect._ "I'm not a little girl!" she shouted, throwing the knives quickly and precisely towards his direction. 

Aoshi ducked and thought he was safe when one sharp point grazed his cheek. He growled and raised one hand to his face. In Misao's amazement, the wound visibly sealed up and healed quickly, not even letting one drop of thick, crimson blood drip down. _What the hell is this? Who the hell are you? _She stared at him straight in his eyes, dumbfounded, until the vampire laughed evilly. 

"It actually depends on you; either I'm the man of your dreams, or I'm your worst nightmare." He smiled coldly.

"Wha- how did you know…" The wide- eyed girl gasped. _It's like he's reading my mind._ She shivered, her lips trembling uncontrollably. Gone was the anger that fueled her determination. In its place, fear resided. _What is he?_

"What are you?" She whispered.

"I am one of the most perfect creatures on earth." He slowly moved towards her. She can't move. She can barely speak. She can't tear her eyes away from his cold silvery green ones. He stopped in front of her, staring down at her huge, innocent eyes, full of fear and a hint of… anger? He spoke to her, in her mind. _I am your worst nightmare; yet I am also the man in your wildest dreams. _He leaned closer, forcing her to move against the cabinet display. He put his hands on either of her sides so she couldn't get away. She suppressed her panic, her feeling of dread and death. He moved ever closer, his lips almost touching the side of her neck when…

__

*clink… conk!*

A ceramic bottle from the display cabinet fell and hit Misao squarely on her head. The unconscious girl collapsed and fell forward, leaning heavily on the bemused vampire. _Hmph, this has been fun but everything must come to an end._ As his head bowed down to her neck, he caught a whiff of her scent. _She smells like… fresh daisies and sweet nothings. _He abruptly stopped his thoughts and shook his head. _Not now, Romeo. Your stomach is already protesting. Dig in. _He changed himself, features sharpening and fine, delicate fangs protruding from his red mouth. 

He bit.

Nothing. 

Startled, he tried to bite again. Nothing. He simply cannot bite into her flesh. _What the hell is happening here? _He leaned back and tried to think. _I don't believe this has ever happened before… I can even bite other vampires. Am I getting rusty? Are my teeth not sharp enough? Do I have to sharpen them with an automatic pencil sharpener?! _He observed her, confusion in his eyes. His eyebrows lifted. Come to think of it, she has a sort of golden yellow-ish glow on her skin. _And I thought it was the light. _He tried to find out the source of this strange glow. His eyes roamed around her face, her lips, her neck… the choker necklace. An amber pendant. With some kind of fossilized leafy plant on it, perfectly clear and preserved. 

__

Verveine. 

The plant from which the vervain evolved from. Though vervain looks like a weed, it has certain effects. It helps in clearing the mind, but most of all, it helps in warding off mind influence from vampires. The verveine, on the other hand, is much more powerful and effective against vampires. Combined with amber, it creates a certain forcefield around the person, protecting him/her from most vampire attacks. It is very rare, in fact, only one known combination was found and that was safely tucked away in the vampire underground to keep safe. 

__

And here's another one, he mused. He laid the girl on the couch, not quite knowing what to do. _Well, well Misao- chan. You are definitely full of surprises. _He gently stroke away her hair away from her face. _Still, I'm not letting you go that easily. _He smiled ferally, eyes glinting once again, silver._ A challenge is ensued and I do not back down. I will come back again, I'll make sure of that. _He looked at her one last time and vanished into the darkness.

2:00 am

__

Ooooowwww…. The groggy Misao groaned as she wakes up once again in her living room. _Hunh… well, this is the second time in a row… Iteee… _she groaned again. She felt like shit. She felt like a whole boulder crashed down her head. She felt like some little people are pounding on her brain, singing a "hi ho" song from sleeping beauty, irritating her like hell. She dragged herself to her bathroom, reached into the medicine box, got two aspirins and gulped them down. _Ahh… much better. _

She dragged herself to her bedroom to sleep again. Yet before she completely resign herself to peaceful slumber, something nagged at her. _I have to remember something… something about a dull point poking at my neck… about blood and…_ she snored loudly, nearly freaking out the neighbor beside her apartment.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Kamiya Kaoru sighed in exasperation. She'd been waiting for Megumi for at least 30 minutes already. _Where did she go? _She tapped her feet impatiently. _She said she'd going to be here by 2:00… damn it. _She sighed again.

She recalled the turn of events in the club, when this smooth- talking guy persuaded her to go out to a much more quiet place, so that they could know each other better. She grimaced as she remembered what happened in her car. She was trying to drive carefully when he suddenly lunged at her, reaching for her neck. Startled and totally disgusted, she swerved the car, left and right, until it she was able to suddenly hit the brakes, making the front right door fly open (which lock is broken by the way because of another accident and another story), and the man beside her practically flew out and landed on the side of the road. Scared and confused, she drove away, leaving him there. She wasn't able to think properly at that time. _Well, _she tried to justify herself, _it's not my entire fault. He was being too fresh! It was self- defense! _She thought indignantly.

After that, she went directly back to the club to pick up Megumi and tell her what happened. Maybe they could go back and see if he's all right. _Baka Kaoru! You shouldn't have left him there! _She sighed again. Megumi, however, told her that he deserved it, because he was too fresh on her and that he's a total jerk. She asked Kaoru if she saw any blood. She had shook her head, thinking that he did landed on soft grass and honestly did not see blood. Megumi then said that he's probably okay then, a few concussions or so, and someone must've already taken him to the hospital. Many pass by there anyway. She went back inside to say goodbye to that Sanosuke guy. _Strange, _the girl frowned, back tracking her thoughts, _I definitely did not see blood, even one drop. _She looked at her watch.

Megumi burst out of the club, fuming. _How dare he! _She stomped towards Kaoru, looking very like she's ready to bomb the whole place and laugh evilly at the chaos when the deed is done. Kaoru, surprised, approached Megumi with concern and caution.

"Hey, you all right?"

"I am definitely not! That bastard!"

"Why? What happened?"

"Well, when I returned from talking to you for a few minutes, I caught him out there, necking some girl! And I honestly thought that he was attracted to me already! Damn it!" She slammed the door, making the car shake. " I swear, if I'm ever going to see that bastard again, he's going to die!" She fumed while Kaoru calmly entered the car and closed her door. 

With trembling hands, she put the keys on ignition and started the car. 

"The gall of that guy," Megumi ranted, "after I concentrated my attentions to him the whole night and putting my charms to work… how can he do this to me?!" 

The girl on the wheel cannot suppress her laughter anymore. She started laughing, a light bubbly sound. The car wobbled on the road. Megumi sharply looked at Kaoru and retorted, "What is wrong with you? How can you laugh at a thing like that?! This is serious!"

"Haha! More like it burst your ego! How many guys have turned away their attentions from you?"

"Well.. none, not since high school." The girl in the red dress narrowed her eyes. "So?"

"So that means this is the first time a guy ignored you, even after you gave your all! That's quite astonishing, isn't it? Haha!" Kaoru grinned mischievously at her fuming friend. "You ALWAYS break it first, isn't that your rule Megumi-san? So why are you giving up easily on him? He's one of a kind!" 

Megumi's brown eyes sparkled. "You're right… I'm going to have revenge… revenge is sweet! I'm going to make him want me… I'll make sure of that! And I'm going to hurt him for what he did to me! OHOHOHOHO!" 

Kaoru just furrowed her brows, then shook her head. _Now that's the Megumi I know! _She smiled and drove on home. 

A/n- there! No cliffhanger! *darn* oh well! Oh, some clarifications… the vervain thing, I got from L.J. Smith. Still, the _verveine_ one, I sorta invented it. I figured that usually, the new product has half or less than power than the original. Get it? So verveine is stronger than vervain because it's the original—where vervain evolved from… or something like that. And the amber thing? Well, it just so happens that I like amber and it's very interesting and cool. It sort of looks magical, to say in the least. So there: verveine+amber+hundreds and thousands of years= safety device. *nyahahaha!* I'm such a tensai! *nyahahaha!*

*sigh* oh well, just let me know what you think of this… hope you like it so far… Please READ AND REVIEW! Arigato minna-san! ^_^


	6. Niflheim land of the dead

Author's notes: Yay! I'm back and brimming with ideas! *hooray hooray!* well, I wasn't gone that long anyway… *grin* Well, I guess I had mind block on what I'm supposed to write next… but I have this cool idea about Aoshi being… oops! Well, you'll find out later! 

Well, just want to say thanks so much for the support minna-san! ^_^ to:

Diablo: Thanks! *blush* I was just kidding around when I said I was a tensai… you know, a-la Sakuragi from slam dunk? Teeheehee..

DarkFairy: Yay! You're gonna use the scientist! *happy happy* I totally love that song! Well, thanks! 

Lebleuphenix: hmmm.. about Sano, well, you'll find out later. J About Kenshin, Well… uhhh.. *scratches head* I'll try to insert him on the oncoming chappies, but he's not a main character. I'm planning to write a separate thing for him and Kaoru. Gomen!

Kats: Thanks! *grin*

Haruko: ARGH! You're totally right! I forgot about that… *sigh* Well, this is what happens to a person writing at 12:00 am. Oh well, let's just say she's too woozy to realize that it's actually from snow white. Gomen nasai! 

Noa: Thanks! I try to insert funny parts to lighten up the mood. ;p

Kawaii Sakura- chan- AHA!! I know who you are you evil, demented person! NYAHAHAHA! Tsk tsk.. WHY didn't you tell me you're writing another story?! Grrr…. :P

Saicho-18- well, I have lots of ideas! And load from school is light nowadays so it's okay for me to lollygag and laze around a bit. ;p

The *Spangled* Pandemonium- Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! I'm getting better? Yey! *okay, I was fishing… damn* Well, hope you like this one too! Ü

Okay, so after all that, *phew, y'all getting more and more!* I just want to say something… Happy reading! (ahahaha! Oh well.. ;P)

Disclaimer: Oooohhhh… Damn, almost forgot it! Well, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. I also do not own some ideas I got from other sources like L.J. Smith and the vampire guy I met last night… oops! J/k! oh well.. wishful thinking on my side… :P

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

"MISAO- SENSEI!"

A little girl around the age of 5 with short, cropped hair and cinnamon brown eyes tugged at her teacher's skirt. Misao finished sticking the last tape on the wall and looked down at the little girl. She grinned. "Yes, Yuri- chan?"

"Ano… I just wondered if you like my drawing." Yuri said sheepishly, handing out a sheet of paper to the bemused teacher. Her eyes widened with expectancy and excitement.

Misao, smiled at the sweet child and accepted the paper. She glanced at the drawing. Blurs of red, black, and dark green are smudged all over the white page. She looked more closely and recognized the vague shapes of some slimy green monster snapping a screaming stick person in half, with blood all around a black background. _Uhhhh… geesh! I wonder where these kids get these stuff! _She gulped, her face contorting into many different expressions then finally settling on an unsteady smile. "Why, It's very pretty! Where did you get this idea?" 

"I was watching this movie you see," The little girl started as her face lightened up in obvious pleasure, "It was about a green monster."

"Uhuh… yes, go on…" 

"And… and he was like grrrrrr… and the people were like, aahhhhh!"

"Urrrmmm…"

"And… and then he picked up a person with his little finger and snapped him into two!"

"Well…"

"Then he gobbled it up! But then the police came and killed the poor monster…" the child's voice faltered, "poor, poor monster…" She sniffed. Her eyes went all teary, her mouth pouting and then slowly widening preparing to bawl her head off. Misao frantically suggested that she work on another picture… a happy one. Yuri closed her mouth and sniffed. She smiled at her sensei and trudged back at her seat. A few minutes later, she was laughing along with her friends. 

Misao sat and sighed. _Sure they're cute and adorable but sometimes they're really just unpredictable! I wonder if their parents know what parental guidance means. _She massaged her temples and closed her eyes for a second.

"Umm… Misao-sensei?" A little boy's voice asked.

"Yes?" Misao replied automatically, eyes still closed. _Please, just for one more second…_

"Here." 

She felt something land on her hand. She groaned inwardly. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the object placed in her hand. It was a blue paper crane.

"I made it just for you, sensei!" the boy said shyly. "I remembered that it was your birthday yesterday! I hope you like it." He looked at her, soft green eyes with specks of gold looked at her hopefully.

Her heart melted. She sniffed. _Darn it all, it's times like these that makes it all worth it! I love being a kindergarten teacher! _She grinned at him, blue eyes shining with pleasure and gratitude. "Thank you very much Fuuma! I love it!" 

Fuuma grinned back at her.

"Now come and we'll play a game with your classmates, would you like that?"

"Hai!"

Misao held out her hand to Fuuma and they approached the rest of the children. Another teacher passing by outside the door heard some giggles and shouts of glee inside the cheery yellow classroom. A thud was heard and one particularly loud and very grown- up voice laughed so… so… violently that the teacher scurried away from the classroom, vowing to herself never to pass by that corridor again.

* * *

The dark skies are covered with gray clouds where almost no light at all can pass through. There's a dark and heavy atmosphere that makes one feel suffocated. A light drizzle began falling down from above, making it all the more dreary and depressing. A black shadow races across the streets down below a gray city. 

Rough, black slate buildings reached the high heavens. Windows opened up to black chasms, no light coming from within. The cobbled streets scattered with the decaying dead. Red eyes following anyone who happens to come across its path. Scurrying little creatures of unknown origin quickly leap out of the way. The Town square, positioned in the middle of the city, was quite huge; of course, it has to be so as to accommodate all the hanging corpses and the tortured souls that are publicized to show everyone the consequences of not following the law, or the King's wishes. One road leads to the colossal black castle up ahead. In contrast to the seemingly decaying city below it, the outer walls are luminous, totally black, and completely formidable. Beyond the castle is a dense and dangerous forest, where if a thousand men will enter, none of them will return.

This is Niflheim, the Land of the Dead.

Upon entering the courtyard, one would expect to see black horses and carriages- but here, though the setting may be medieval, the gadgets and machinery are of the latest technology. Black helicopters, very expensive "James Bond" cars, and of course, Harleys. In the inner courtyards, green foliage somehow eases the atmosphere. Great gardens with crystal clear waterfalls are to be seen. Further on, beautiful huge mansions lined the widening road, all eerily, yet elegantly black. 

At last, the ominous Castle. Tremendous oak doors bar the way. Beautifully made, it depicted scenes from the book of Revelations: a serpent with seven heads, the weeping and wailing of humans in hell, Judgement day. With a loud creak, the doors open. Great halls and corridors that twist and turn can make one lose himself- or his mind. Portraits of old ancestors are hung in the walls, the eyes following the one passing by. Tapestries with morbid content adorn the cold sides. Paintings on the ceiling, encompassing even those of the great artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, portray scenes of death and the twisted faces of the tortured. Ahead, the doors of the great hall opened.

The Great Hall is the heart of the castle. Many deeds have been done here, both great and sorrowful. Its walls are all made of the material Onyx, luminous and reflective. Tall pillars reached the ceiling, making the place look threatening and petrifying. Numerous candles chase away the dark corners and those that lurk in them. A silver throne is located in the middle of the hall, a man seated upon it.

About seven feet tall, the dark haired man looked up as the heavily cloaked creature barged in the doors. His eyes shone blood red, then yellow as the sun, and finally settling on a silvery gold hue. His aristocratic features- a firm mouth, high cheekbones, and a patrician nose- makes one look in awe of him. He nods at one before him.

The dark figure in a dark cloak approached the man seated on the throne.

"You summoned, Your Majesty?"

The King looked at the kneeling person before him. He seems to observe and analyze, to probe and to seek. He then spoke. "Yes, it is about the unknown renegade wondering about Tokyo. I know it is of little importance to you but the one I assigned before was not competent enough," He paused, smirked and continued. "As you might know well, the renegade is killing more and more humans everyday, creating chaos and fear. You must handle it."

"And what happened to the one assigned before, Your Highness?"

"Well, if you must know, he was… exterminated."

A shrill cry and some jangling of chains are heard from an almost unnoticeable door leading to the torture chambers. 

The King continued, "My spies will inform you of the little progress that fool made. You must know that I chose you because you are the best in the kingdom, and this massacre must be stopped for it is affecting us greatly too. Our identity may be at risk." 

"Yes, I understand, Your Highness."

Pondering for a moment, the King then stared at him, his eyes ice cold blue. "You may not be too formal with me. Besides, I am your father."

Aoshi looked up at the great man, showing no emotion on his face whatsoever. "You are my King."

"Ahh… that I am also. Still, you are my son and you have certain obligations when I die. If I die." He smiled. 

"You will still live a long life, Your Highness." Aoshi replied. "There is forever."

The king chuckled, his voice booming around the hall. "Ah yes, but there are always attempts in my life. No matter, I will not be defeated. You are dismissed."

The cloaked man bowed and exited the room.

* * *

"Well, what did he say?" Sano, chewing a fishbone, asked as Aoshi entered his chamber. 

"He gave me an assignment"

Sano's eyebrow shot up. "It's been a long time. You sure you can handle this?"

Aoshi glanced at him. 

"Hey, hey man, it's not meant to offend you." The taller one said, hands raised in resignation. "I was just wondering if you aren't a bit rusty on the edges."

"There is such a thing called practice." He threw a dagger at Sano. Sano evaded the blade just in time. 

"I take it that you want to practice with me? You think you can defeat me? I'm still on tip top shape; you haven't done anything like this for years." Sano chuckled.

"Take it as you want. I've never been defeated before, everybody knows that, especially you." _Or maybe there is one time at a certain apartment…_ Aoshi shook his head and smirked at the one facing him. He pulled on his Kodachi, the weapon that he specializes in. He readied a stance.

The younger man threw his fishbone, a smile playing at his lips. "You're on, cuz."

* * *

Misao couldn't sleep. She turned on the television and caught the late news. 

"10 people were killed today at the convention center, several others wounded. Though it was a very crowded area because of the exhibit, nobody saw the attacker. 'He, she, it, (whatever) was too fast!' one bystander commented. 'It just literally flew over the victims and before we knew it, POW! They're dead!' Until now, the police are still investigating the case. However, it is advised for the people to be extra cautious." 

She turned off the television. _What's the world coming into? _She thought, _first, the terrorist attacks in the US, then the wars in Afghanistan, now this?!_ She sighed and walked towards the kitchen, intending to get a midnight snack.

"OUCH!"

Hopping around, Misao clutched her reddening toe. She looked at the object where she stubbed her toe. A ceramic vase. Memories of last night came rushing back to her. She shook her head, trying to clear the vague images. _I don't really remember what happened last night… I just remember… cold green eyes... or is it blue? _She recalled, not liking the weird feelings that suddenly rushed over her. She sighed.

"Argh! Whatever! I'm going to eat my Mochi balls! Yum yum!" ecstatic at the thought of eating her favorite food, she half-skipped, half- hopped towards her refrigerator. She opened it expecting to find a box of green tea flavored ice cream. There was none. 

"NOOOOOOO!!!!! WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING INTO!??"

* * *

A/n: WAAAAAAHHHH!!! It's sooo long!! *sob sob* I can't believe I wrote such a long chapter! Arrgghhh! *iteee…* My head hurts…

I got Niflheim from my Norse mythology book. It does mean the land of the dead. *evil evil*

Oh well, sorry, not meeting of Misao and Aoshi. Don't worry, there's always another chapter *grins*. 

Damn it. I have a feeling this chapter totally sucks. I'm sort of not in the mood today… sorry! Well, I hope you READ AND REVIEW! Arigato minna-san! ^_^


	7. Slashers and Mochi balls?

Author's notes: I am having an internal conflict.

Minnie me #1: You should put Kenshin here already! Everybody's expecting that! *raises hands in the air in exasperation*

Minnie me #2: NOOOOO!!! I'm gonna write a separate fiction for them!!!! A K&K!

Minnie me #1: Yeah but Kenshin is needed for your plot!!! Well… sorta… *scratches head*

Minnie me #2: Well, he could go on later! After the Misao and Aoshi thing! 

Minnie me #1: Yeah?! Well how about Megumi and Sano??!!! *Glares at minnie me #2*

Minnie me #2: Well, I'll integrate their story with M&A. *thinks*

Minnie me #1: Why can't you do that then with Kenshin and Kaoru???

Minnie me #2: Well, I want a totally separate ficcy! 

Minnie me #1: For goodness' sakes… WHY?!

Minnie me #2: *POUTS* well… because I want to! It's more interesting like that…

*Minnie me #3 pops up and interrupts the two*

Minnie me #3: Why don't you sorta start them here then end them in another ficcy?

Minnie me #'s 1 & 2: WHAT?! What the hell are you talking about???

*Minnie me #3 cowers and fades away*

Minnie me #1: Kenshin! Kenshin! Kenshin! *throws a tantrum*

Minnie me #2: NOOO!!!! *also throws a tantrum*

… and the conflict goes on.

So you see folks, I simply cannot decide on what to do. Although Minnie me #3 has a more likely suggestion. *minnie me #3 pops up and grins* errrr… yeah. Anyway, I'm simply demented, so to speak. So please bear with me and my troubled thoughts for this is the only way I could "eject" my inner turmoil in me. Of course, there's the occasional trip to the toilet but that's a completely different kind of ejecting inner *aherm*… *grin*

Wahhh!!! I'm lazy to say thanks to each and every one of you. Same thing, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REVIEWS! Very inspirational, and heart-warming. Of course, there's the usual I'll- slit-your-throat-while-your-sleeping kind of reviews, still, thanks all the same! Love y'all! ^_^

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN!!! I hope I didn't plagiarize anything of L.J. Smith's too… not mine. Truly. Except for some parts. 

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

A flicker of a shadow, then it was gone.

The cloaked figure looked at the paper left by the spy. Only three words were written on it:

__

Near Sakura Kindergarten

The paper burned by itself once the cloaked figure exposed it to natural light. At last, there was a lead.

* * *

__

Why those good-for-nothing assholes! Misao fumed, _I waited the whole night for them to open so I could buy my favorite Mochi balls, then they have the nerve to say it's out of stock! _She stomped out of the convenience store, slamming the door shut. Inside, two clerks were cowering behind the counter, praying to the good and merciful Kami-sama that the evil- tempered woman would not come back again at least today… before they hand out their resignation letters to the manager. They can't live like this anymore.

Still fuming, she trudged along the sidewalk, only wearing her pajamas and yellow, fuzzy slippers. Her apartment was just around the corner, so there had been no need for her to change into something more appropriate. Besides, the people here are already used to her running around like that. 

__

I swear… I'm going to sue that store! Don't they know what happens to a woman if she doesn't have her daily sweets?! DO they want crazy women taking control of the world? Why those little nitwits, why I oughtta—

*BUMP!*

She fell on her butt.

__

DARN IT ALL! Why am I always getting into some accident?! The deprived-of-Mochi-balls-Misao angrily stared at the person who bumped her. "Hey you! Don't you watch where you're going?!" 

A tall cloaked stranger walked right past her. 

__

Doesn't anyone have manners nowadays??!!!! "Asshole! Bastard!" She screamed at the guy, wanting a fight to cool off her nerves. When the man did not stop walking, she threw one of her fuzzy slippers at him. It hit right on target. 

*SMACK!*

The man tottered a bit, then collapsed on the pavement. He moaned, and sat up after a few dizzying seconds. He turned and stared at her, blue eyes flashing with anger and annoyance. "The hell..?!"

Misao stood up triumphantly, chin up, eyes looking down at the man, her body in a haughty stance. "You think you could get away with bumping me like that?! I DON'T THINK SO!!!" She charged. 

Afraid of being seen with a demented woman that obviously just came out from the mental institution, the blond American turned and ran down the street, heavy coat billowing behind him. Actually, he was more afraid of being hurt. And she looks downright scary… and capable of hurting a huge giant in her state of mind. He shook his head and continued running… _crazy Japanese…_

After retrieving her fuzzy slipper, she turned around, light-hearted. _Ahhh… it's so much fun to start a day either with a Mochi ball or a nice scare. Hahahaha!! Ooooof! *clonk*_

Bumping into a post, she then steadied herself and began walking back to her apartment building, which is just around the corner. 

* * *

Aoshi approached the kindergarten gates. The sun had just set and he intended to get this over and done with by the time the sun rises. He leaped over the high fence and went in to investigate some traces of the renegade. 

* * *

Misao stretched, her arms reaching over her head, her tired eyes closed. After an activity- filled day with the little tykes, she still had to punch in the conduct and grade of each and every one of them. _Goodness, they're only children! How can they fail in playing or in the fun activities that I make? I hate requirements… _She glanced at her digital watch. 7:00. Kaoru will be coming here anytime now. They were going to eat out. Megumi will not be able to come because she was in the "process of a very important matter." Misao smirked. _Yeah right. And that very important matter spells out m-e-n. _She chuckled and went around the school to inspect the classrooms for the last time, before going out. Besides, she is the only one left here and that was the rule. _I'm not going to overtime again. _She sighed and opened the door to her yellow classroom.

Blue met blue.

Startled, she quickly backed up and flicked on the light. She couldn't believe it. It was that guy… Aoshi… from before. Her expression changed from one of surprise to one of anger and annoyance. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

The tall man quickly hid whatever emotions behind a stoic mask. He glared at her. "What do you THINK I'm doing?"

"I think you're trespassing and stalking!"

"And who am I supposed to stalk?"

"Well, for some odd reason, it seems to be me!"

He narrowed his eyes. "Well, if you think I am, maybe you're right." He smiled cynically. "You are a very spirited woman; it would be a pity for me just to give up easily. I never give up. Never." He came nearer, closing the distance between him and her. 

Misao backed up, intending to flee outside. _Darn it all! This is too creepy for me… I didn't know I'm even pretty enough to have a stalker! _She glared at him even harder. "Well I don't too!" 

They glared at each other.

Misao moved back again, slowly inching her way towards the door… then the clasp of her necklace was caught in one of the hooks for the children's coats. She tugged, not really minding it, thinking more of how to escape or how to attack the man in front of her. Glowing yellow amber dropped to the floor. 

Distracted, Aoshi looked down and seeing an opportunity, the girl brought her knee up to his stomach. He doubled over and Misao reached for the door handle. She turned it.

__

It's locked! 

At a loss on how it was locked when she was sure that she didn't lock it, she then quickly scanned the room and saw it. The window. As she immediately ran towards that direction, a firm, cold hand gripped her wrists and tugged her back. She whirled around and faced the stoic face of the angry vampire. Only the eyes gave away a hint his feelings… anger and triumph.

She tugged and squirmed, but knew that it won't work. _He's just too damned strong!_ She was suddenly flung against the wall, pinned and captured. He smiled cynically at her. Then he changed.

It was the most incredible and unbelievable marvel she ever saw. 

His eyes changed from murky blue to silver green. His features became finer, accentuating his eyes and his perfect bone structure. His mouth- _oh his mouth! _– was blood red, long pointed teeth protruding from his top lip. If it was possible, he looked more handsome than before. She panicked and began punching his arms, hitting everywhere.

He chuckled, and huskily said, "it won't worked this time… there's no more chance for you…" 

She gave up, her entire body slumped in defeat, hopelessness flooding in. _Besides, you've always wondered when you were a little girl about mysterious things like these… and deep down inside, you know you want to… there's no denying that._

His warm lips touched her skin, the point of his fangs ready to punch into her throbbing vein… _She smells so sweet… and feels so good…_

Somewhere in the background, the door opened noisily, and at the same time, the breaking of a window is heard.

"Misao, you - "

"Don't even think about it."

Aoshi felt a sharp point poised at his back. Wood. Cedar. He lifted his head and heard a woman's sharp gasp. He slowly backed away from the confused Misao and faced the red- haired stranger.

"Well, well. The legendary Battousai the Slasher. I didn't expect to see you here." His face was back to its original form, his eyes ice-cold once again. He narrowed his eyes, glimpsing another woman by the door.

"You should've known that I've been after you for a long time, Shinomori." The Slasher aimed his deadly cedar sword at the vampire. One push would be the evil creature's end. "You've been killing many people openly, creating fear and anger at the people. You know what the organization must do." He raised his sword.

The vampire smirked. "You honestly believed that I'm the one who's responsible for that commotion?" He shook his head. "You should get your facts straight, Himura. You've got it all wrong."

The one called Battousai narrowed his yellow eyes.

Kaoru was stunned, not being able to move from her place by the door. When she couldn't find Misao in her office, she went around the school, knowing that she might be doing one of her rounds. She heard voices and shouts behind the yellow door, and not being able to open it, she ran back to the office and obtained the key. By the time she got back and was able to unlock the door, the voices quieted down. Scared stiff of what she might find inside, she opened the door and heard a crash by the window. Now she's still by the door, watching all these unbelievable phenomena. She observed the one who was called the Slasher, with long hair- _wait, is that RED?! _- fixed on a ponytail, wearing a black shirt and black pants. His body was strapped with all types of high –tech equipment. The only thing that was non- high- tech was the wooden sword he was holding. Her attention then was turned to the tall one beside Misao, short hair, gray polo and black pants, his body on an easy stance. She shook herself out of her shock and rapidly went to Misao, who was equally petrified and wide- eyed, sitting on the floor, watching the two strange men/ creatures. 

"Misao! Snap out of it! We have to get out of here!" She hissed at Misao's ear, at the same time, tugging gently at her arm. "C'mon! Get up!" She pinched her arm.

"OWWWW!! WATCHA DO THAT FOR?!" 

The girl looked at Kaoru as if she was some crazy masochist. The dark- haired girl sighed. _At least she was shocked out of her stupor. _"C'mon! We have to go!"

"Wait! But I…"

"Can't you see what's happening here?"

"Yes but…"

"Let's go!"

"BUT THEY NOTICED US ALREADY!"

True enough, both heads were turned to them, watching them bickering at each other. Both have amusement flickering at their eyes, both observing the two of them closely. Kaoru groaned inside. _Damn. _"If you wouldn't have shouted, we should've been out here by now." She stated sweetly at Misao. 

"Well YOU'RE the one that pinched me, thank you very much!"

Himura glanced from one woman to the other. _This is going to be a problem. _His eyes lingered longer at the one with the long hair fixed up in a ponytail, a prim white blouse over jungle green skirt, eyes flashing at her friend. _This is still interesting nevertheless. _

A radio crackled. 

"_Himura, Himura! Come in, over! Everything going as planned?"_

"I'll get back to you later." He turned off the radio and faced Aoshi. "So what's this thing about you not being responsible all those killings? You're the only one in the whole Niflheim who could be as fast and as deadly as the murderer." His steady hand was still pointing the sword at the vampire.

"Of course I'm not." The captive spat out. "I wouldn't be here looking for him then if I was." He smirked. "And I guess you're looking for him too. What a coincidence."

"Just doing the job, Shinomori."

"Ano…" A feminine voice spoke out. "If we could ask permission to… uhh… leave? We have to go."

Both men quickly turned towards them and said, "No."

"You both know too much already." Himura replied. "It's either you stay until we know what to do with you or die."

"I'd say we kill them. They're not so bad-looking after all." Blue eyes roamed over Misao. The girl's hairs on her back stood up, her spine tingling. Pale blue eyes flashed. "Why the nerve-!"

Battousai shook his head in disapproval. "You never changed Aoshi." Aoshi's eyebrows shot up upon hearing his first name on the other's lips. The red-haired man cleared his throat and faced the women. "We must discuss this orderly and civilly. Do you have a private place where we can talk?" He raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yes." Still glaring at Aoshi, Misao pointed out, "There's the faculty lounge just straight along the corridor."

"That'll be fine." Himura gathered his things and pointed the tip of the sword to Aoshi's spine. "You, move. You wouldn't want to make unnecessary movements. There are agents all over. Follow or die." He pushed a bit. 

The other sneered. "Like I'll go away now. This is far too interesting to miss." His eyes flickered, a bright blue.

Misao led the way to the lounge, thinking: _WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HAPPENING TO ME?!! _She almost cried at her next thought. _Oh no! No Mochi balls for tonight!! ARGH! _She sighed loudly, causing the others to look at her amusedly, wondering what she was thinking. Aoshi had a trace of a smile on his lips. 

* * *

A/n: *pant pant* Okay… *pant pant* Is this long enough?!! Gosh… took me two days to write this. (okay, I'm a bit exaggerating)

So, What do you think about Kenshin's role? I figured he'd still be called Battousai the Slasher since he kills Vampires and other evil creatures to keep them under control of the organization, which is… oops! You gotta read the next chappie to find out! *grins evilly* Sometimes, my fingers just run away with me. *errrrr* 

Anyway, hope you liked it! Please READ AND REVIEW! Any suggestions are open! Thanks a lot, Minna-san! *grin* ^_^


	8. Revelations

Author's notes: Oh good GOD… *the stupid ketchup song is going 'round and 'round Tesuka's head "I said ehe.. eha… (whatever)* AAARRRGGGHHH!!! I've got LSS! (last song syndrome) This is one of the suckiest song ever!!! (sorry to offend those who love this song but I really can't stand it.) GGAAAAHHHH!!! It's killing me!! HELP!! *choke choke* 

Anyway… (^_^)' ehehehe… just wanted to rant (well, more than the usual anyway). AHERM. So… Back to my usual stuff. First of all, It's NOT like Buffy the vampire slayer. Though I did sorta made it sound like that, didn't I? Yech. Anyway, he's much COOLER than that. Hopefully. You'll find out in this chapter. ^_^

Hrmm… don't worry.. I'll put more Megumi and Sano. I've got something interesting in mind. Nyehehehe.. *evil grin*

Oh well, here it is! ^_^

Disclaimer: Urmm… what's a disclaimer?! Nah, just kidding. People might kill me. Okay, so I don't own Rurouni Kenshin… and L.J. Smith's Ideas. Doh. 

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

They entered the lounge. 

It was a cozy little place, soft couches and coffee tables scattered all around. Nothing matched, which actually contributed to its charm. A black and white striped loveseat, a flowery bean bag, a Chippendale chair, a leather seat, and a counter in the corner with coffee pots and different colored mugs which the children decorated last week. A huge wooden cabinet was situated in another corner. The soft glow of the blue walls made it all the more homey and relaxed. This room was usually Misao's sanctuary, helping her to calm down when her nerves were tight. But now, it doesn't help a bit. Misao sighed in exasperation as she absently plopped on her favorite- the bean bag. 

The others looked around and found their own seats. Kaoru sat down on the couch, the side nearest to the bean bag. Aoshi sat across the teacher, on the Chippendale. The Slasher remained standing, wanting to be able to see everything. 

"Okay, shoot."

The red-haired one started explaining. 

"First of all, I am Himura Kenshin, an agent of the Black T.H.O.R.N. S. – The Hidden Organization of Rights and Nations of the Supernatural."

The vampire looked around, obviously bored. Kaoru listened intently, while Misao let out a big yawn, and then tried to pay attention to what this Himura guy was saying.

"We are an organization composed of the supernatural- vampires, witches, fairies, werewolves… you name it, we're all there. We are commonly called the People. It all started even before men existed, going on to the Medieval period, when the People were at their most powerful. They hunted down humans, used them as slaves, like animals. Then the humans got fed up of all this and started rebelling against them. During the late 1300's through the early 1800's, they were burning witches and hunting down vampires and werewolves. The People were getting desperate, their number rapidly depleting, and so they asked for a treaty. Here, they agreed to give up most of their rights and lands to the humans. They had to live hidden away, controlled by the organization, so as not to abuse the humans again. This treaty was agreed upon and many forgot what about the People." He paused for a while, then continued. 

"Though some remember them, the ones to whom they told think of it as some person's vivid imagination and even delusions. Others think of it as just fiction- they already made books, movies, and even series like Angel and Buffy the Vampire slayer. Nevertheless, no one believed that much anymore nowadays. Therefore, the treaty was seldom broken. Until now." Battousai glanced at the vampire, yellow eyes narrowed down to slits. 

Misao and Kaoru were amazed, interest filling them, eyes wide with awe. _I can't believe it… all these vampire stuff are really true? _Misao wondered. Then she sneered at herself. _Well, I knew even before that. Though how exactly, I don't know._ She glanced over at Aoshi. 

Aoshi met her eyes and grinned.

"This is quite amazing," Kaoru spoke up, breaking the awed silence and the tension in the air. "I can't believe that all the while we were surrounded by creatures that were thought mythical." She shook her head, saying "so THIS explains all the weird unexplainable phenomena around the world."

"Ahh… the Loch Ness monster, Big foot, and other legends all around the globe. Yes, they're all connected to the People. Though they were subdued easily, and very efficiently, I daresay." The vampire drawled. "Though I do remember one event that almost went out of control… I believe that was the Boston Massacre, in America," he said thoughtfully, "I should know." He stared at the others around him. "I was there."

Misao's eyes rounded with shock. _He was there?! But that was like a century ago! It's impossible…_ then realization dawned to her. _Of course! He's immortal. How stupid can I get? _She narrowed her eyes. "What happened there?"

Kenshin was the one who told the tale. "Well, It was the brink of the revolution, really. The people were outraged because of the taxes imposed upon them by the British. Some of them in Boston started a fight with the British soldiers. It was thought that the killings happened because of that fight." 

"But it was all wrong. The killings have no connection at all with the fight, which was subdued, although it did occur on the same day. Around ten people were killed… their blood sucked out of their systems, and their bodies were scattered around Boston. Historians think that it has a connection with the fight that day and concluded thus."

__

But then it was actually some blood- thirsty war freak who killed them all. Misao thought. _I wonder who…_

"I was the blood-thirsty war freak, to answer your question, Misao."

Startled, the kindergarten teacher raised her eyes, meeting emotionless cold blue. _Damn, I should guard my thoughts better. _Then the impact of what he said fully hit her. "YOU?!"

"Well, I was travelling with some of my friends. It didn't matter too much… only that it started the revolution. Which is a good thing, actually," He added. _Now why do I feel like I have to prove myself to this woman? _He shook his head and his thoughts shifted. _That was actually around the time when mother… _he shook his head again.

"Yes, but more bloodshed could've been prevented." Kenshin stated out. 

"The past is in the past, Himura. Besides, you weren't exactly a saint either." Aoshi's eyes glinted. 

"I agree. The past is in the past, and it is not worth talking about." Kenshin turned away. Kaoru looked at him curiously.

Misao laid back at the bean bag, stretched, sighed, and said, "So what do we do now? If we promise not to tell anyone, will you let us go home and we'll all be happy? Or will you kill us, to ease your worries about us blurting it out to the public?" She sneered.

Aoshi was distracted as the thin cloth stretched over Misao's slim body. She was all soft and rounded at the right places. _A bomb wrapped in a pretty package._ Then he realized that someone was talking to him. "What?"

"I said if you could erase their memories." Kenshin replied. "It would be easier for all of us."

"Can't. I can only erase memories that were accumulated in a couple of hours. She already met me a couple of days before." He explained, looking at Misao. She was glaring at her. He chuckled, she caught him 'examining' her. "I didn't erased it before because I thought that she was too drunk to remember." _Is that it? Or you wanted her to remember you for some odd reason?-- Shut up. _

"Well then, erase Ms. Kaoru's memory."

"No!"

All looked at Kaoru, surprised. 

"I- I mean," Kaoru stammered, "If you're going to do something to Misao, I'll stay by her side no matter what." She stubbornly stated.

Misao was touched at that. "Oh, Kaoru, you really don't have to. I can handle these guys." 

"No, Misao, you know you're like a sister to me. I'll be with you and that's that." Kaoru's eyes flashed with determination.

__

It's either she has guts, Kenshin thought admiringly, _or she's incredibly stupid. _He opted for the first one. He made a decision. "I have thought of something: the organization will take both of you in, for protection. If word goes out and it was found that two humans know of us seriously, many will try to kill you both, just to keep their identity hidden."

"But we have our jobs!" Misao blurted out. Her mind began to whir rapidly. _How about the children, my apartment, my Mochi balls? Everything I've worked hard for? _"I can't!"

"Do you value material things over your life, Ms. Misao?"

She bowed her head. _Everything's ruined! And because of that good-for-nothing-I'm-so-gorgeous vampire! Dammit! _

"Why are you doing this for us?" Kaoru spoke quietly.

"We can't very well kill you right now, it will just add up to the other strange events happening all around here already. It's just business, Ms. Kaoru." Kenshin coldly stated.

Aoshi had been very quiet all throughout. He had heard something, a scratching of some sort, and now he's trying to hear it again to be able to figure out where it came from. 

__

*scratch scratch*

Everybody heard it this time. 

Aoshi quickly leaped towards the cabinet, wrenched it open, and grabbed at the one hiding there. He grabbed its throat to kill it.

"NO! WAIT! STOP!"

He paused, his silver eyes narrowed, his teeth long and deadly. 

Misao rushed toward him and his victim, a look of pure terror, then livid anger showed on her face. She grabbed the boy and hugged him tightly. 

"You dare hurt such a small child? Have you no heart?" She told him, her voice full of contempt and hurt. A whimper was heard from the boy. "Shhhh… it's okay, Fuuma. I'm here now. The big bad wolf is not going to hurt you anymore." She cooed softly. 

__

What the-? Big bad wolf? What does she think I am? He returned back to his normal state, hiding once again behind a cold, cynical mask. _What do I care anyway? I am evil, in way. Even though I've literally stopped existing long ago._

Misao led the sobbing child to the bean bag. She put him on her lap, repeatedly stroking his wavy dark hair to clam him down. After a while, his sobs decreased to halting hiccups. She then said gently to him. "What are you doing here, Fuuma? I thought you went home already."

"I…I did. Bu- but there was no one there. I… was sca- scared and I went back he- here." He replied tearily, his green eyes huge and scared.

"How long have you been here?"

"I… I wai- waited for you here. This is my fa- favorite room and… I know thi- this is also your fa- favorite room too, Mi- misao- sensei." He paused to wipe his eyes with his fists. "Then I he-heard pe-people and I was scared. I hi-hid in the-there." He pointed to the now dilapidated pile of wood. 

Kenshin narrowed his yellow eyes. _Damn… this is an added problem. _He asked the vampire, now coldly standing away from the scene. "Can you erase his memory?"

"Of course I can." He replied.

"Wait," Misao said quietly, "Fuuma doesn't have a home to go back to. He's new in our school and he's alone. His parents died earlier because of a car crash and they left a great amount of money for his education. He has no known relatives. Only the nanny is with him all the time. I guess she's gone now, and I don't really know what happened to her." She raised her pleading eyes to Kenshin. "He'll go with us."

"No. It's too dangerous. We'll put him in an orphanage."

"He has a phobia in orphanages. He was put in there once and the one in charge beat him roughly." Misao looked at the now sleeping Fuuma. "He'll go with us." She repeated, and determined solid blue eyes stared right back at Kenshin. "It's either that or the other option. Kill us." 

Exasperated, Kenshin couldn't very well kill them. He sighed resignedly. "All right. But both of you will be in charge of him. I won't be a goddamn babysitter." He turned around and ordered. "Come on."

Misao's face lightened. She carried the sleeping child, and stood up. She stumbled a little at the unexpected weight and sat back down the soft bean bag. The heaviness was carried off her arms and she looked up at Aoshi, strolling away as if he's carrying something as light as a feather. She smiled a little and was helped up by Kaoru. "Are you okay? We'll have to go and gather some things." 

"Yeah, I'm alright." _There's something human that's left inside him after all. _She stood up straightened her pants, and strode out of the room. _This is actually exciting! I'll think of it as a vacation… white beaches, sunny skies, and clear blue water. _She grinned. 

* * *

A/n: Okay, this TOTALLY sucked. I'm soooo not in the mood to write right now. *gaaah* Anyway, I'm too tired to change it and I've got lots to do. *a weary tesuka with eyebags around her eyes walks around the room, looking like a ghost.* Oh well… READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! Thanks! ^_^

Sorry.. Kenshin was OOC. Well, he is still Battousai anyway, he's cold and unemotional. Anyway, don't worry. He'll change. And he's got a secret of his own. *evil grin*

Okay, so about the Boston Massacre thing… I just used it for this fiction so I guess that's an added disclaimer. So…

Disclaimer: The facts about the Boston Massacre are still facts. I altered it a bit for this fiction. Please don't sue me!!!! 

Argh! Oh well, the next chapter is about them settling in the protection agency of T.H.O.R.N.S (yuck! Another sucky invention of my mind). What will happen? Is it what Misao expected? Or is it completely different? *urrrmm… I don't know…* So any suggestions? I HAVE WRITER"S BLOCK! Grrrrr… oh well, thanks everyone! ^_^


	9. roach weakness

Author's notes: Hallo! Well… Hrmmm… Ahhhh… *scratches head* Oh well… I guess I just want to say SORRY for the sucky previous chapter. I had to put it to explain stuff. And I'm lazy to write it all over again. GOMEN! ^_^

Hrmm… In this chapter… well… I guess you'll expect some Megumi stuff. Oh, and Misao stuff. I hope. 

To the following great reviewers!

Noa: yeah… I should've left it and waited 'till I had some inspiration. Gaaahhh. 

CCSROX: thanks! Well, I did made him a bit OOC but I needed him all suave and evil- like. Or something like that. Hope you'll forgive me!

Yui Shinomori: Hey! Thanks! Demo… I don't really know what x/1999 is. I just thought of a name, Fuuma (I thought it was common), and I liked the combination of black hair with green eyes. Especially the green eyes part. (yeah!) Guess it's a kind of creepy coincidence! Whoooo… Oh… HARRY POTTER ROCKS! *grin*

Argentum Draco (uhhh… 'blank'?): secret! Shhhh….

DarkFairy: Hey! I'm hoping for some A/M interaction too! Ahahaha! *okay, I'm weird!*

The *Spangled* Pandemonium: Gah. That is so like the understatement of the year. Okay, maybe not. *grins mischievously* Thanks!

Thanks also for the others who read but do not review! But it's so much better to READ AND REVIEW, isn't it? Nyahahaha..

Oh well. *sigh*

Disclaimer: I don't own… yada yada yada… Rurouni Kenshin and L.J. Smith… yada yada yada…

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

"Ummmm…" Megumi purred as she slithered over the leather seat to Sano, her sexy black dress sliding up her thigh. "So where are we going?" She put her palms on the front of his suit, her eyes glinting mischievously.

Sano grinned. _Damn, this woman's hot! It's been a long time since I've come across one as beautiful as her… I'm going to have a delightful feast. _His eyes misted in anticipation and excitement.

Megumi smiled seductively at him and played with his tie. At last, she was on the brink of acquiring her greatest prey. For days she had pursued him, played a bit of hard-to-get, setting all her irresistible charms to high power on him. He was one of the most handsome, and interesting man she'd ever seen and she intended to have him. _I'll play a bit more, then I'll move in for the kill._ She'd never give up. Never. 

"Hmmm… well, I know this really nice restaurant and I'm one of their patrons. It's very exclusive, you know, and you're the first one I'm ever gonna bring there. It's really a special place," he whispered in her ear. Inside, he felt smug, knowing that it always worked. _Never failed me before. I'll play, fox- then I'll move in for the kill. _"I've reserved a private room for us, would you like that?"

__

I would like that VERY much. "Hmmm… yes, I guess it will be nice for us to be alone together… you've had so many admirers this past few days." Her voice held a tinge of jealousy but her face revealed nothing. 

__

Just like a geisha, hiding behind a façade, Sano thoughtfully noted. Then an idea came into his head. _Breaking ice is a very tough job but the warmth beneath it might just be worth the while. _"Are you jealous of those petty girls the other day? Don't worry… they are nothing compared to you." He kissed her soft, red lips, warming his own.

She did not immediately respond. She was surprised. _It's the first time he kissed me. _She then slowly yielded and kissed him back. Though he was cold, he is still soft and very sensual. She sighed. The kiss went even deeper. 

*toot toot!*

Both of them reluctantly released each other and they reached for their cellular phones. It was Megumi's. She frowned. _I told that baka assistant of mine not to text me except… _she gasped. "Stop the car! Please, turn it around!" Her eyes wild with panic, she began giving instructions to the driver going to the hospital. "Please hurry!"

Sano held her arms, trying to calm her down. "What is it? Tell me, tell me Megumi, don't hold it all inside yourself." His eyes determined, he would not let her back down.

Panicked cinnamon brown eyes settled on calm dark ones. She sighed shakily and explained. "It's my patient. She's just a little girl… it's an emergency. She has a heart disease." She turned her head and looked out the window, a fleeting moment of great sorrow and desperation shown in her eyes. She then steeled herself and composed her emotions, putting on that mask again. _I swear it, I'll break you, and you'll thank me one day. _The tall man narrowed his eyes and moved nearer to her, meaning to comfort her. She moved away, afraid of breaking down in front of him. He put down his hands and frowned. _Dammit woman! What are you doing to me? _

****

Later, in the hospital. 

Moving efficiently and briskly with a determined look on her face, she took a surgical gown form the assistant and put them on. Shouting orders, she handled the equipment with ease. _Don't die on me now, Miyu. I won't let you die on me!_ She operated on the little girl, finding the root of it all. She then expertly took it out and fixed the vein. She sighed in relief as the crucial moment passed by. Moving over to the head of the operating table, she stroked Miyu's hair, a look of tenderness on her face. "It's okay now, you're safe."

The little girl's eyes flickered open and gray, unfathomable eyes stared back at the doctor. "Thank you, Megumi- san." Her eyes misted. "but I must go," she whispered, eyes darkening. A blank stare. An innocent smile. A loud beep in the background, that the lady doctor never heard. _Gomen nasai… Sayonara. _A lone tear dropped splashed to the floor.

__

* * *

__

What's taking so long? Sano paced back and forth outside the whitewashed corridor, the blinding white light flashing on the passing nurses, the medicinal and typically 'hospital' scent giving off an air of false comfort. _She should've been done by now, it's been two and a half-hours already! _He stopped and caught himself, trying to shove away the troubling feelings and emotions that suddenly surged up inside him. Instead, he thought of what happened earlier, seeing the vulnerability in her eyes, the strain, and the weight of the responsibility of saving a life. _She's not so cold after all, _he mused. _She cares about her patients, but no one cares about her. No one knows that behind the mask, there's a little girl trying to get away from it all. _He shook his head, not believing his thoughts. He can't care. He wouldn't care. 

Suddenly, the doors of the operating room opened. Expecting to see a smug look on her face with a gleam of success in her eyes, his heart fell when she came out, all haggard and tired, pain flashing on her eyes, which she quickly hid. His resolve shattered as a drop of tear fell down on her pale face. _Even like this, she's still beautiful. _Unconsciously, he reached out and she leaned heavily against him, quietly sobbing. "I- I can't… I can't… save…"

"Shhh… it's alright, honey, it's alright." Sano stroked her long, lustrous hair, for once comforting instead of caressing, giving strength instead of striking fear. "I'm here, I promise I won't go." And for once, he meant it. 

* * *

"AGGGHH!"

Something slimy dropped on her hand. She shook it vigorously.

*NOOOOO!!!!*

Misao cringed as she surveyed the cockroach- infested apartment. _This is definitely not what I expected._ The walls were peeling, a leak from an exposed pipe dripped down on the damp floor, little icky insects of all kinds scurried in and out of the rubble scattered around. The little boy, Fuuma, was already in ecstasy, pinching the little vermin's one by one with his small fingers. She sighed and walked around. _Well, at least it's quite big. Two separate rooms, a living room, one bathroom, and a small kitchen aren't so bad. _She brightened up, her more optimistic side taking over. _Something can be done with this, after all! _"Okay people! Let's start cleaning up! it would be our tentative home for a while. I'll take care of the kitchen and the living room. Kaoru, you'll have to take care of the bedrooms and bathroom. And Fuuma…" She stared at the little boy, still intent on playing with the disgusting little creatures. She shivered. _Yech. _"Ummm… I guess you'll take care of destroying the mutant insects from the other galaxy." 

Fuuma grinned. "Yes Commander Misao- sensei!" He paused, thought for a moment and said, "How about a name for our group, sensei?"

"How about 'clean and gleam force'?"

The little boy's face twisted, resulting to a very funny picture. Misao laughed.

"Umm… 'The group full of cute people cleaning'?"

He shook his head vigorously.

"What do you think of 'Misao's army- saving the apartment from the evil insectoids'?"

Fuuma sighed in exasperation. "Where do you get all these weird ideas, Misao-sensei?"

Kaoru then suddenly spoke, staring woefully at the particularly huge flying cockroach that landed on the ceiling, "Errmmm… 'Anti-Icky-Stuff troop?" She tried to move away as far as possible from it.

The boy's face lightened up and his grin reached his ears. "That's it!"

Misao rolled her eyes and commented, "I still liked the 'Misao's army etc.' better."

They all laughed, letting out the worries and anxieties that fell upon them earlier.

Through it all, Kaoru had observed the play of dismay, disgust, and then optimism on Misao's face. She hid a smile, knowing that whatever situation her friend is in, she would always find a way to make it better. "Hmmmm… might as well start cleaning up now, or we will never be finished." She followed the lively girl's example, picking things up here and there, although not as enthusiastically. _Yuck… I hate cleaning as much as cooking and driving! Ewww… _she lifted a filthy cloth, filled with maggots and dropped it in a trash bag, her face contorted up with disgust. 

A few dragging hours later, the Anti-Icky- Stuff troop lay exhausted but very much satisfied with what they have accomplished. One whole plastic bag full of UCO (unidentified crawling objects) and two bags full of dirt and other UUO (unidentified unmoving objects) were set aside on one corner of the room. The apartment actually looks livable – a bit of work in applying some coats of paint on the walls, patching up the holes on the floors, and cleaning the furniture would just have to be done.

Misao scratched her head, feeling like a thousand insects were crawling all over her. _Good thing I brought a can of insecticide. That was a life- saver. _She yawned, and since the bathroom looks like it's the most decent one of the whole rotting place, she decided to take a quick shower to relax herself. "Hey, I'll just take a quick one." She nodded to Kaoru, knowing that she'll understand. The tired girl took her bag and huffed over to the bathroom and closed the door.

At that moment, the front door opened and Kenshin and Aoshi walked in. Astonishment flicked over yellow eyes as the red-haired man looked around the apartment. It was clean, impeccably so, and it actually looked… homey, in a messy sort of way. "You did a great job here," he nodded, noting the tired Kaoru and the bug-picking boy. "Have you eaten yet?"

Kaoru gave him a small smile, and sighed, muscles creaking all over her body. "No. But I'll see to it. Later. After I rest my aching body." She then collapsed to the nearest couch, and closed her eyes. 

"I'll cook."

Her eyes suddenly flew open. _What? Did he say that he'll cook? _"Wait… you don't have to… I'll get it to it." Kaoru tried to stand up, but she sat down again, her legs not being able to hold her up even for a minute. 

Kenshin headed towards the kitchen and started rummaging around. 

"Don't! I mean… do you really know how to cook?" _For all I know, you might force us to eat something charred and horribly unrecognizable. _Her own cooking came into mind, usually charred and horribly unrecognizable. _On second thought, he just might be able to cook a decent meal for us. _She smiled.

"Don't worry, Ms. Kaoru. He's one of the best cooks around, for a human." The vampire walked over to the other rooms, inspecting and observing the changes, a hint of amusement clearly visible in his features. _Last time I was here, there were cockroaches all over the place. I guess I never bothered to clean it up. I wonder where all of those critters went. _He approached one huge plastic bag and peeped cautiously inside. _Aaaahhhh…_

Suddenly, a scream echoed from the bathroom.

"EEEEEEEPPP!!"

* * *

A/n: Sorry guys for updating late- ish. I hope this one's a bit better than the last chapter. *teeheehee…*

Ahhh… I really have nothing much to say now… only that… I HATE COCROACHES!!! Yech. 

Oh well, have to go! Lots and lots of homework and projects… It's our fair on Friday and I'm cramming on the design dept. I'm totally dead. *sigh* Oh well, part of school life, I suppose. 

So any suggestions? Propositions? Violent reactions? Or just plain flattery? (ahahaha! J/k) READ AND REVIEW please! ^_^


	10. frustrations!

Author's notes: *goes down on her knees and apologizes* Gomen! Gomen! Gomen nasai!!! I'm really sorry minna-san for the late update… I guess it's been a week since I've updated and I'm really sorry for leaving a cliffhanger for a long time! ~_~ Oh well, at least I haven't given up completely… damned schoolwork… *puff puff*

Well, anyway, I just want to thanks all those people who reviewed! ^_^ really keeps my spirit up! So…

Diablo: thanks! Roaches sucks… *sigh* too bad there's more in this chappie.. ehehe.

Noa: Well, *scratches head* I guess you guessed it right! Drat… oh well.. it is kind of predictable.. hehe

Fuuko-san: thanks! Hope you keep reviewing!

Anime-no-Atama: Yep! Their story is sort of a fast one… don't worry! You'll see more of them in the following chappies though.. 

Soul: well, my brain's full of mush and cockroaches. Haha! Obviously! J/k! :P

Crystal: hope you like this too! :P

Lebleuphenix: really sorry for the cliffie. I didn't realize that I put it there… ehehehe. I think I got swept away.

DarkFairy: Thanks! Sorry.. more roaches on the way! Haha!

Argentum Draco: well, just read this… you'll know what will happen. *sigh* I simply cannot resist the request of the readers.. tsk tsk.

Kats: I'm really sorry for the weird previous chapters.. hope you like this one though. More good cooking! *grin grin*

Nekonomiko: *cringes at the kunai* waah! Don't kill me! here it is!

Megami no Ushi: Wow, Taiwan? Cool! ^_^ thanks for reading!

The *Spangled* Pandemonium: Hehehe.. thanks for your continuous support! 

ROSA: Hahahaha!! You read my ficcie??? SHHHHH!! I forbid you to tell any other soul. Errrmmm. Not really. *grin* Thanks! Though there are lots of errors and I bet you're too soft to tell me about them. Nyahahaha!

Random Minion: Well, just reading my ficcy (even though without reviewing) makes me happy. Only that reviewing makes me happier! *hint hint* Thanks a lot for the support!

A. Pikachu: Wow, I'm really flattered! Thanks! Ano… gomen. I don't really know x/1999. Although it does sounds interesting… I'll try and check it out. Thanks! :P

Wahhh! I'm sooo happy! *silly grin* Thanks for all the reviews! 

Ahhh well.. so here it is!

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

__

Rubber duckie, lalalalalalaaaaaa! Misao was humming a tune in her head that she caught in the television while she was scrubbing all the grime and dirt stuck in her body. _Goodbye, dust! Goodbye, icky, sticky, unidentified clinging objects! Gosh… a shower feels sooo good after a hard day's work! _She cheerily scrubbed and soaped and washed. _Almost done! _She twisted around to turn the knob so that more water will come out when…

__

Oh. My. God.

The most terrifyingly largest cockroach she'd ever seen came crawling out of the big hole on the tiled floor where all the water's rushing out. It was as big as her hand, disgusting almost- transparent wings stretched out, ready to fly, its huge elongated reddish brown body gruesomely wriggling around. Red beady eyes looked at Misao. 

Her eyes widened, jaw hanging. _Gross. Gross. Gross. GROOOOSSSS!!! _She cautiously wrapped the semi- transparent shower curtain around her still wet-and-soapy body and reached for the mop she'd put by the door. She grasped the handle behind her, then poised her body, ready to smash the little bugger to bits. _Steady, steady… It's a damned cockroach for goodness' sakes! Just kill it already! _Misao swung her arm forward… then hesitated. _It's looking at me like some cold-blooded killer, waiting for the right time to fly at me and land on my arm, biting and making me into one of them! _Her imagination going out of control, she stood dazed, staring at the evil- looking red eyes. _After that, It's take me down to the sewers… and I'll never see Aoshi-sama again! NOOOO!! _She began to swing her arm again… only a moment too late. The evil creature from the land of the sewer system flew. Towards her. 

"EEEEEEEEEPPPP!!!"

Misao ducked, narrowly avoiding the flying cockroach and faced the enemy. She narrowed her eyes with determination and faced the disgusting thing, which landed just by the opening of the bathroom door. She held the mop in front of her. _One, two, three! _She swung… just when the door opened and revealed a very concerned vampire… and hit Aoshi smack in the middle. She put too much force on the blow, toppled forward – forgetting all about the shower curtain wrapped about her small frame – and landed on the crumpled form on the tiled bathroom floor. The creature from the land of the sewers harmlessly flew out the door.

Aoshi moaned, one hand feeling the bump that formed on his forehead, the other hand resting on a smooth surface, surprisingly curved just right for his hand. _What the- _he felt around and his arm circled a tiny waist, his other hand feeling something wet on top of him. That's when he realized the slightly heavy WET burden positioned on top of his body. Unmoving. He then remembered how he got here in the first place. A shout. A sudden feeling of worry that enveloped him. Running towards the bathroom. A smack in the head. _Misao-?! _He sat up and cradled the small form. _No…_

"Ugh…" Misao moaned, then stopped… she felt surprisingly comfortable in that crumpled position she was in, resting on something warm. She sighed. _Mmmm… this is nice. _

"Is everything okay in there?" Kaoru voiced in.

"Urrmmm.. yeah…" Misao replied. She shifted and she suddenly became aware of someone holding her, touching her…

The shaken girl's eyes flew open and found that she was in the arms of… _Aoshi?! _…she with nothing on except a shower curtain… _HENTAIII!!!_

"AAAGGGHHH!!" She screamed and pushed the startled bulk off her. "Get away from me you pervert!!" 

"Wha-?" Flabbergasted, Aoshi let go of her and looked at her panicked, angry blue eyes. His own eyes were muddled and a bit worried. "I didn't do anything… I swear… you screamed and I thought you were…" 

"Ahhhhhh!!! Get out before I bonk you in the head again!" the desperate girl threw something at him. A rubber duckie. Her faced flushed in embarrassment as it bounced harmlessly off his muscled body and landed on the floor. She clutched the curtain tighter around her, not knowing that in doing so, more of her curves were revealed to him. "Oh just… get out will ya?!" She then resolved to push the goggling idiot out and shut the door close. She gave out a long, wavering sigh. 

__

Gosh… he's hot! She caught herself… shook her head. She leaned against the door and closed her eyes, seeing and feeling his nicely masculine form all over again. _What am I thinking? Well… I guess he is a great example of the male specimen… even though he's not human. _She smiled. _Ahhh well, I am human after all. _She sighed again and trudged towards her backpack, lying on the floor. She peeled the shower curtain off her now dried body and put on some fresh clothes. A thought suddenly came to her. _Hey now… what happened to that bug? _

The said cockroach was resting on the ceiling, watching for any more threats to its pathetic life. It then flew towards another room, seeing the food all around the counter. It happily settled on one cube of tofu that fell on the floor. While blissfully eating, it felt a sudden pressure going over it and…

*Crunch!*

It was squished. 

"Cockroaches… it disturbs my cooking." Kenshin then returned back to the stove, and added a bit of something to the boiling Miso soup. 

The vampire, now a bit composed and back to normal, groggily stepped inside the kitchen. He narrowed his cold eyes at Kenshin. "Cooking like a woman again, Himura?" He then sat down on a stool, hands shoved at his albeit messy wet hair. 

"Now, what got your goat this time, Shinomori?" Kenshin's yellowish- purple eyes glanced amusedly at the obviously irked man. "does that by any chance has something to do with some shouting I heard earlier?"

"Well…" He thought back on what happened earlier… images of a shapely body invading his frustrated mind… something soft and just right… he shook his head, banishing these kinds of thoughts away. _I don't have time for this. _"No… just thinking of the case. Got any ideas?" His now completely cold silvery green eyes stared at Kenshin revealing nothing. 

__

Boy, he never ceases to surprise me on the quickness of the way he controls his emotions. Kenshin went back to his soup, tasted it, and found it satisfactory. He turned off the stove switch and faced him, hands folded on his chest. "Nothing yet. Although… some sources say that he's about to strike somewhere near here. I'll have to check it again later." 

Aoshi's head bowed, thinking. _When will he strike next? Maybe he already found out about these girls being able to know about us… he might be too dangerous now. _"I'm going out." 

"Dinner?"

"Yeah. And something else." 

He thought of the different exclusive clubs he seldom visited. He just might be able to satiate his sexual frustration. Then his thoughts turn towards the energetic, sexy woman just on the other side of the wall. _Damn it… this is getting out of hand… _he stood up and turned towards the door. He hesitated at a nearby table, dropped something flashing yellow on it, and went on his way. 

* * *

Misao gingerly peeped out of the door. Seeing no sign of him, she stealthily tiptoed out. Before entering the kitchen, she composed herself, determined not to let anything faze her. She then confidently strolled inside, then her jaw dropped for the second time that day. _Am I in heaven? _She hungrily stared at the simple, yet most scrumptious- looking food ever. _Wow… Kaoru must've taken some cooking lessons SERIOUSLY. _"Hey Kaoru! Gosh… that's the most amazing miracle I've ever seen! Food actually looking like food! Not some scorched, deformed stuff that…" 

She paused and glanced around the eerily silent room, meeting flashing blue eyes set of a stuffed face, a very amused purple pair with the owner wearing an apron, and an uncaring set of green gulping down the soup like there's no tomorrow. "Ahhh… ehehehehe…" _Uhoh._

"Why you… mmfffftt!" Kaoru quickly gulped down what's on her mouth and started raving at the poor, clueless figure by the door. "I can't believe you would actually say that THIS," she pointed at the food on the table, "is actually better than mine! Mine's not really bad, you know… you just don't know how to appreciate a different style of cooking like mine!" She huffed and held her chin up and pouted.

__

Yeah, Misao thought, _and that would be… the black kind of cooking? _To avoid any more unwanted lectures and not being able to wait any longer to taste that good-looking food, she just nodded at Kaoru, sat down and started gobbling up every last bit of food that she could get her hands on. _I'm definitely in heaven…_ She sighed with obvious pleasure. 

__

Why that little imp! Kaoru thought while eating her food stiffly, _why I oughtta…_

"Maa, maa…" an uncommonly gentle voice shook her out of her reverie, "please calm down. The food will taste bad if one should feel particularly angry." Violet eyes smiled down at her. _I—I thought those were yellow?! _She sat, feeling dazed and surprised. _Well… now that's weird. _She shook her head and began eating again with a lighter heart.

* * *

That night, the killer watched his next victim, his body shivering in anticipation. _This situation is very interesting indeed. _He stared at the humans. Loudly arguing between themselves. _Vermin. That's all they are. _He smiled inwardly, cynically. Waiting for the right moment. _'til darkness comes…_

* * *

Aoshi stepped inside the club and gazed around the room. His striking presence caught everyone's attention. The girls wondered about the tall, handsome young- looking man by the door. The men, most of them drunk, just narrowed their eyes at him, a bit annoyed for getting all the attention of their women. Aoshi did not mind all of these. He went farther inside and many of the women that are scantily clothed flocked around him, appraising him and his wealth. 

Aoshi motioned towards a short-haired, blue-eyed girl who was leering at him, wearing an asymmetric top and short skirt. _Reminds you of someone? _He narrowed his eyes. _This is for business only. _Then he cynically smiled as he followed the girl towards the bar. _And maybe something more. _

* * *

Misao picked up her amber pendant from the coffee table. _Now how did it get here? _She turned it over and over, observing the intricate detail of the leafy plant preserved forever, trapped inside the amber. Then she thought of Aoshi. _He must've put it here. _Her eyes softened to sky blue, touched and bewildered at what she was feeling. _I guess even after all of my antics, he might care for me. _She smiled a secret smile, tucked the pendant inside her blouse and headed towards the room she's sharing with Kaoru. She not being aware of the pair of silvery green eyes following her and glinting evilly. 

* * *

A/n: So how did you like it? A. good. B. not so bad. C. Really bad. D. It's so bad, it's not worth reviewing for. Waaahhh! I'm going crazy here… nyehehehe.. ^_^ Oh well, Hope you all read and review! Arigato minna! 

p.s. it's not exactly a cliffie, isn't it? *looks hopefully at the readers* Oh well.. *sigh*


	11. Silver Emerald

Author's notes: Waaaahhhhh! I'm obsessed with Our Lady Peace! Their new album, Gravity, it's the best! Lalalaaaaa… *listens to one of her favorites, 'Do you like it' and nods her head to the tune* waaahhhh!!!! ^_^

Well, anyway, sorry to sort of kept you guys hanging… Gosh, I'm sooooo unaccountably happy today! I just got home from a soiree and there were so many cute guys! Waaaaaahh!! *grins like a demented clown that got out of the asylum* And in addition, I got 100 reviews! *sob sob* I don't know if I should laugh or cry… wahahaha… hoohoo…

Sooo… thanks to the following people! Hrrrrmmmm… let's see… 

Crystal: Thanks! Glad you liked it! :P

Diablo: Yeah… too much hw and soirees… haha! I have a busy schedule… *grin grin* But I still have time to write this, thankfully. *smile smile*

Lebleuphenix: really sorry for the short chapter… I guess it's really a "nonsensical" one but I just wanted to put that. Hehe. I'm totally weird… Isn't it soo much better if people have denials? Haha!

DarkFairy: Wa! Please don't hunt me! I'm not an animal!! Well, technically, I am but that's not the point… bwahaha! 

A.: well, thanks! Hope you keep reviewing too! ::hint hint::

Silver_star-fish: don't worry about the relationships… I'll make it last 'till the end… I have a great ending in mind.. *evil grin*

Vesca: Wow! Thanks! Glad you liked the Kenshin insertion… although his part it somewhat not too significant… ehehe… and I've always thought that Aoshi suits being a vampire.

Lil_witch: Thanks a lot! Glad you liked the bathroom scene! Nyahahaha! I like it too.. nyahaha! Well, about Kenshin, he's sort of the mix of battousai and kenshin soooo… it's kinda weird. I'll have to fix it up… :P

Haruko: I'm hoping that this one has action scenes… I'm not yet entirely sure because the ideas sort of comes to me when I'm actually writing… hehe.:P

Sakura-chan (not kawaii! :P): Hay! You're the one who's crazy! I swear… I would never do that! Hmph! And the jokes???? Well, 'tis actually funny but I won't put it… no one would get it! You're sooo "babaw!" ahahaha! Guess what.. it's Saturday and I haven't started on it yet. I am the queen of Cram! Yeah! *holds the Cram crown on her head, mouth shaping words like 'oh thank you'* nyahahaha!

Soul: Yeah well… could not help it… I want them closer and closer.. so close that I can't pull them apart! Mwahaha! ^_^

Yuko Hoon: Oh. My. God. *looks around cautiously* did anybody else…? Well, anyway, I guess you just have to read the rest, ne? haha! Oh well… towel… *okay, that's some weird thing we say at school 'coz it rhymes… haha!*

The *Spangled* Pandemonium: Wow, thanks so much… I'm really happy about someone reviewing frequently… *grin grin* Well, the rubber ducky thing just popped into my head and I began laughing at just imagining it soo… I thought y'all would like it. *grin grin* 

A. Pikachu: hmmm… are you sure it's Aoshi? *eyebrow goes up and down* Well, we'll see in this chapter… haha! :P lemony? Can't write… it's nc-17 and they abolished it before I started writing… awww… *sob sob* Oh well…

Kats: Uhoh. *eyes widen as thousands of watchamacallits are dumped on her* Gaaahh! Geesh! Sorry! I'll TRY not to leave a cliffhanger this time… :P

Random Minion: Yeah, I remember you! *grin grin* Well, I'm soo happy that my story makes you happy! *huh?!* Well anyway, you should do your hw first before you read my ficcy! *yeah, like I do that! Doh!* nyehehe… I'm evil. Well, as for Kenshin, as I said before, I'm sort of starting him on this story but I'm going to continue him on another one that I'm going to start after this. Do you get it? *sigh* Oh well… just… well, keep reading! (?) ehehehe.. thanks! ^_^

Phew! There's a lot of you now… I'm not complaining! I'm really jubilant about it. *yuck, what a word! Haha!* Well, thankees so much for your continous support minna-san! Well, without much further ado, here's chapter 11! 

Oops! Disclaimer!: errmmm… well, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin and it characters. Ahhhh, welll except for - *shhhh!!!!* some person here. Ehehehe. *smiles innocently* 

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

*YAAAAWWWWNNNN*

Misao yawned loudly as she padded her feet from the bathroom to the room that she is sharing with Kaoru. Her amber pendant swings steadily against her throat. _Wahhhh… after all that happened today, I swear, I'm going to sleep like a rock! _She stopped and pondered. _Wait a second… do rocks sleep? _She shrugged and continued on her way, weaving a crazy line towards the bedroom. _Yawn…_

The Kenshin guy left earlier, saying something about investigating a case and doing his laundry. Aoshi hasn't returned since after the bathroom incident. The boy Fuuko went directly to the other bedroom after dinner, complaining about his fingers hurting because of pinching all those bugs. After watching some Japanese action movie on the television with her friend, Kaoru went directly to sleep, snoring her way to oblivion. Misao doesn't mind it at all, seeing as to how she also snores like that, even worse at some times. She started unbraiding her long, lustrous hair and combing it so that there wouldn't be any tangles when she wakes up. She sighed as the tension on her scalp eased. She looked at her reflection in the mirror… then saw something emerald green flash.

She blinked and looked again. 

Nothing.

__

Maybe I really am tired. She rubbed her eyes, trying to rub some of the sleep out of her eyes. She then literally crawled towards her futon, went under the covers, and closed her eyes. _Aaaaahhhh… rest at last. _

Wait. Wait. Wait.

__

Okay, c'mon Mr. Sandman, I'm waiting for sleep here. I really need it. 

Wait. Wait. Wait. 

__

Gah. Drat it. 

Wait. Wait.

__

Okay… sooooo… I obviously can't sleep. 

She reluctantly popped one of her eyes open and stared at the darkness around her. _Hmmm... maybe Kaoru's snores are really affecting me this time. _She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them after a few minutes, conscious at the noise of the crickets and the dripping water in the bathroom. Especially Kaoru's snores. _Okay. Somewhere quiet please. _Suddenly, she remembered the balcony by the living room._ Ahhhhhaaaa! I almost forgot about that… _ They weren't able to explore the balcony because they were too busy cleaning the whole apartment. Besides, the door was jammed and they couldn't open it the first time. Surged with some weird renewed energy that went through her system… she jumped silently to her feet and went towards the living room in her pajamas and fluffy slippers. 

__

Yosh! She braced herself for opening the sliding door. _I can do this! _She held on to the rusted handle. She pulled with all her might… and it easily opened, the extra force that she applied making her flop down on the floor. _Oooowwwww… _she rubbed her super sore butt. _How many times do I get to fall on my ass in a day!?! _A soft breeze went through the opening, ruffling her long hair. _Ahhh well, I guess this time its worth it. _She cautiously stood up, wincing in pain, and went towards the door. _WOW._

She never really realized how high up they were. She vaguely recalled the car with darkly tinted windows sloping upwards as they went along the road. The car had stopped and it was parked in a garage so she didn't see the view before. 

__

It's… breath- taking. 

The apartment was situated atop a small hill, overlooking the city. City lights blinked here and there, making a lovely pattern under the great blue sky. The stars were shining brightly, the moon full. _It's been so many years now… I guess I've been too busy to appreciate the simple things in life. I could just drink it all in now… _

"Ah yes, wouldn't it be nice to drink everything you desire?"

She turned towards the voice. _Silvery emerald green eyes. _

* * *

__

Damn it… Why can't she leave me alone?

Aoshi walked the now deserted streets of Tokyo, venting out his frustrations by walking it off. He thought about what happened in the exclusive club and shook his head. _What the hell is happening to me?_

When he had entered the heavily incensed room, the blood red color of seduction draped everywhere, he was suddenly repulsed and disgusted at the cheapness in what he was doing. The woman was all over him, tugging at his clothes, doing an exotic dance at the same time. Before, he would actually think it sexy; now, it just looks like a comedy act, the whore twisting her body in ways that would make her look like a pretzel. He shoved at her, thinking on how he could have mistaken her to being beautiful, having short stylish hair, blue eyes and long legs. In actuality, her face was too wide, her teeth yellowing and the skin in her arms sagging… she was actually old! He decided to finish this quickly. When the woman once again threw herself at him, he grabbed her throat and bit. She even tasted like some dried up old prune juice! _Yuck… _he shuddered at the thought and twisted his head at the side, looking at some incoherent advertisement. He had left immediately after that, not completely finishing the old whore but erasing her memory instead. She'll be able to recover anyway. After a time. 

A soft breeze blew against his face and he stopped in order to savor the moment. _I haven't had the time to appreciate these small things nowadays. _He started walking again, more at ease with himself and more relaxed… though unwanted thoughts still plague his mind. _What is it about her anyway? What's so special about that small girl? _He walked towards the park that is situated in the middle of the city, cherry blossoms flying everywhere. _She's too cheery, she's very clumsy, stupid, and talkative. And she hates me. _He paused under a tree, face stoic. _On the other hand, she's got life and spirit… two things that you haven't experienced for a long time. She's also very innocent and fresh, different from all the other women that you already met. Besides, she's also very sexy. _He knitted his brows. _Oh just shut up. _

He tried to think of the case. He had also been to that club to get some information. _No luck on that line. _He shivered, his thoughts bringing him back again and again to that extraordinary ordinary woman. Then his eyes flashed silver, a resolution coming to his mind. _She's just vermin. It wouldn't harm anyone if I play with her for a while, would it? _He gave a small, feral smile and walked quickly away towards the hill. 

* * *

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Misao trembled in rage and fear as she saw the man with flashing, green eyes advance towards her. "And who the hell are you?"

"Well… you've got spirit Makimachi Misao, I'll give that to you." 

The man stepped out of the shadows and faced Misao. He was tall, wearing a black polo and black slacks with black boots. He had light brown hair that was slicked back. His eyes, as we all know, are silvery emerald green, and his smile… has an evil glint on it. "I want to introduce myself… I'm Shiro. At your service." He bowed at her, mockingly. 

By this time, Misao had composed herself and she was furious. Her rage cannot be compared with any other. "So SHIRO, what the HELL are you doing here? And how did you know my name?" Her eyebrow arched upwards. 

"I know all about you Misao-chan," The girl's already arched eyebrow went higher. "I have watched you, known you and your habits. I have seen the way you interacted with that vampire." The other brow arched as high as the first one. "I have decided that I will reveal myself to you in time. And now is the time."

"Well how convenient." She sneered.

"I have called you outside to the balcony so that we could have a semblance of privacy."

She suddenly remembered that flash of green in the mirror. She dismissed it, thinking that it has nothing to do with him being here, nor with her being here. "Well I didn't hear the phone ring."

The man laughed. "Well, you have a witty response. But my dear, I obviously did not call you by those means. I have influenced your mind, luring you here to the balcony." 

__

Huh? Okay… weird stalker, go away. Maybe I should call the mental hospital. She cleared her throat, her voice sweet yet dripping with heavy sarcasm. "And how were you able to do that? Are you a shaman of some sort? An alien with high technology that sends waves to my brain, telling me to go out here? For your information, I came out here because of my own volition and because Kaoru was snoring so loudly, I couldn't sleep. And one thing, I – "

"I am a vampire." 

__

Oh Gosh. I am so pathetically stupid. 

The stunned woman stood there, not being able to speak. Of course, it all makes sense, the weird mind reading/ influence thing. Aoshi had done that before. And weird eyes turning silvery. Yep. He's a vampire. "Well," she said, her voice trembling just a bit, "what do you want with me then?"

Shiro laughed, an eerie sound that echoed in the air. "Well, what do I want? What does every vampire wants?"

__

Blood.

"Uhhhh… Mochi balls?" Misao asked, breaking the composure of the guy. She knitted her brows and seriously answered, "well, personally, I like the green tea flavor. But knowing how much you guys like the color red, I think you'll like the strawberry one. It's not too bad actually." She analyzed the flavors of the favored ice cream as she walked back and forth by the railing. "Or you could try this new flavor… raspberry I think. it's red too but I haven't tasted it yet. You see, I don't have time to eat them nowadays because I'm cooped up in this place."

"You fool." The vampire whispered.

The ranting woman stopped, now fully aware that he's too close for comfort. She backed up, and her back met the metal railing. _No way out. _

He smirked. "You're right about that. There's no way out of here now. I want your blood. Now." He lunged and grabbed at her. 

Desperate, she immediately moved backwards and then she fell… her body hung suspended in mid-air, then went headlong towards the ground. _Oh Kami-sama… Please just let it be quick. I'm sorry everyone. _She closed her eyes, expecting the impact of her fragile body to the hard ground any minute now…

*THUD!*

There was an impact, but it did not hurt as bad as she expected. _Hmmm… maybe I'm already in heaven that's why I'm not feeling anything. _Her eyes fluttered open, then every part of her body started to hurt. _Alright, I'm in hell, I'm in hell… I'M TOTALLY IN HELL! _

"Don't move." A raspy voice sounding awfully familiar whispered in her ear. Then she noticed something under her… no… SOMEBODY under her. _Oh Great. _Not being able to take the pain anymore, she fainted, the last thing she ever saw were the stars shining brightly in the open sky. 

* * *

A figure ran off towards the trees at the bottom of the hill, his twisted leg already rapidly healing at each step. _Dammit, stupid woman. _His eyes flashed emerald green. _I swear, I'll get her next time. _He smiled, the obsession showing plainly on his face, clearly seen by anyone who can see it. _No… I've got a better idea… not only her blood… also her life…_

* * *

A/n: YAAAYYY!! Another chapter done! alright! *pumps fist in the air, doing a victory sign* Wahahaha! I'm super duper happy… nyehehehe. Now you know. BWAHAHAHA! *evil grin* 

Uhhh… Kenshin fans? Don't kill me. I need the rest of my life (or at least a couple of months) to finish this. Don't worry, he'll come out as cute as ever in the next chapter. *sweatdrop*

Okay, so you can say that I have an obsession with green eyes. I mean, who wouldn't melt at those amazingly green orbs? *sighs dramatically* Haaayyyy… 

Aw gawd. After this, I'll have to do my paper. Geesh…*grumble grumble* Oh well (towel) wish me luck guys! And thanks so much for the support! ^_^

READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! *grin grin* 


	12. Arrival

Author's notes: wah. Tiring day. Oh well. Hrmmm… well, read so many good fanfics today! *grin grin* I was like… 0.o well, anyway…

****

Attention: Shiro is not Shirojo. He's my own character that happened to have the same name as him. (gah. Just like Fuuma :P) Well… actually I don't remember who Shirojo is… *forgot forgot* well… that's that. I guess if you like to imagine him as Shirojo, it's okay. *gah… I really forgot. Is he the guy with the long hair and weird coat?* 

Hey, since I do believe it is quite annoying (for some of you) to say the thanks stuff at the first part of the fic, I'll just thank everyone at the bottom of the fiction so you have the option to read my ramblings. And so that it wouldn't bother you scrolling down just to read my fiction. *grin grin* ^_^

Well, here it is then! 

Disclaimer: Blah. You all know anyway. :P

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

Flashes of white. Pain. Movement. Voices. 

It seemed like it would never end. 

Misao ached all over, trying to remember what had happened. She tried to open her eyes… _green… eyes. _She closed them again, a certain kind of weakness taking over her exhausted body. _I want… to rest. _

* * *

She opened her eyes, blinking at the sudden yellow light enveloping all around her. Stone. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion… _Stone? _She then suddenly sat upright, the images getting clear. _Whoa. Where am I? _

She was in a dark, stone chamber, with little slits on the walls that serve as windows. Pale gray light penetrated though them, giving off an eerie atmosphere. Cold and unwelcome. Candles were everywhere. A blood red rug covered the floor, intricate black details weaving in and out. Black furniture, made from some unknown material, was artfully arranged around the room. The four-poster bed that she was sitting on was also made of the same smooth material, so lustrous that she could see her reflection on the polished surface. The sheets, in contrast, were white and clean, but it had a certain musty smell to it. 

Misao felt something rise inside her. Something that spread quickly throughout her body, not leaving any part out. Her dark blue eyes widened, a trembling hand covered her mouth. Her other hand clenched to a fist. She can't… suppress it… anymore…

"OH MY GOLLYGOSH! THIS IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!"

She jumped up, feet on the carpet, ignoring the groan of her body. She ran around the room, opening things here and there, tinkering, observing, discovering. Her eyes were alight with excitement and wonder at the beautiful and mysterious things all around her. _A silver hairbrush! I thought these only exist in fairytales! And a music box! _She opened it and a sorrowful tone drifted out of the box. _Beautiful. _

She left it open and began dancing to the tune, twirling around the room, flowing hands waving gracefully. She began humming to it and closed her eyes, letting the sudden surge of emotion drown her soul. She never heard the silent doors open and close behind her. She whirled around a bit more, then stopped at one end of the room, eyes still closed. When the song ended, she sighed and opened her eyes. Crystal blue met misty green. 

"AHHHHHH GAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

She quickly ran backwards, heart stuck on her throat. "Don't do that! I was scared stiff!" 

"You shouldn't be up." Green eyes narrowed, a glint of amusement flickered and gone. A stoic expression replaced it. 

"Well…" the now calmed girl scratched the top of her head, thinking. Then she remembered. The fall. _Oh yeah. Well. _"I'm feeling better already. Hey. Where are we?"

"My place."

"THIS is YOUR place?"

Shrug.

"YOU live here?"

Silence.

"YOU clean this huge place up by yourself?!!"

His eyes narrowed. "Obviously not."

Her eyes got even rounder. "YOU have MAIDS?" 

"Well, more of slaves actually."

Confusion. "Slaves? But enslavement doesn't exist in Japan anymore."

"We're not in Japan."

"WHAT??!!!"

The vampire sighed, moving towards her. "Look, rest for a moment. It's obviously too much for you to take in. I'll explain later." He lifted his hand, as if to brush her hair away from her face, but thought better of it. "Kaoru will be here any moment." At that, he turned and walked through the door, closing it behind him. 

"But wait! Hey! I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU YET!"

A pillow flew across the room, landing heavily against the wall. 

__

Grrrr… I am perfectly fine! I cannot see why he couldn't explain it to me now! Now is as good as any time! Grrrr… Steam began spouting out of her ears. _Why am I here anyway? And why am I dressed in this… ROBE?!! _She suddenly blushed as she remembered the way she faced him, unknowingly dressed in a silky white robe, loosely fitted, revealing a bit of cleavage and skin. It was really soft and comfortable. _Maybe that's why I didn't realize it at first. _Then her eyes widened yet again as she realized something. _Maybe that's why he was looking real funny at me… HENTAIII!!! _She angrily tightened the robe and stiffly strode towards a trunk, thinking that since there are no closets around, the clothes might be kept there. 

She struggled with the lid a bit, heavy as it is. Finally managing to lift it up and lean it on the wall, she surveyed the clothes inside. _This is quite… odd. _She lifted a green dress, shook it out and coughed. _Gahhh… dust! _"Achoo!" 

As she rubbed her red nose, she examined the old dress through watery eyes. It was frilly, lace all around, most of it made from heavy green velvet. It has an underskirt of light green silk, and it flows down, like water. _This should be put in a museum. This is priceless… _she put it down, rummaging inside the trunk. _Hrmmm… let's see what we have here… nope… nah… yech… double ich… gah! Dead mummified cockroach!… geesh… aha! AHA! AHAAAA!!! AAAAHHH…. _"ACHOOOOO!" 

She doubled over, eyes already red and puffy from her allergic reaction to dust. _Awww geeshhh… great. _

"Misao! You okay?" Kaoru had entered the room, and seeing chaos all over, had imagined the worst. "You're still sick! You shouldn't be up yet!" She bullied the poor girl into surfacing from the sea of endless silks, velvet, wool, and cloth. 

"Ugh." Misao wiped the snot dripping from her nose. "Allergic… reaction… ACHOO!!" The bed shook. She sniffed.

"C'mon, you need some tea… this place is really old fashioned and they put something in this that will make you feel batter. Try it, it's not that bad." She grinned, trying to put a sincere expression on her face. 

Suspicious, Misao glanced at the cup. _Looks normal, brown and with tiny leaves floating around. _She shrugged, her watery eyes not noticing the barely controlled face of Kaoru. She sipped. _Well… I didn't shrivel up and die. I suppose it's okay. _She took a huge gulp. 

*SPURT!*

"Yuck! What the hell is in this?" Misao's faced formed into many different expressions as she contemplated on its taste. _It tastes like… coppery or something… yuck! Bleh bleh…_

Kaoru was laughing, falling soundly on the floor, but still chuckling and giggling so hard that tears came out of her eyes. "Yeah… I- it really sucks… haha!.. Well… that's what they serve he- here… you have to drink it all… they'll inspect it…" She wiped the tears off her eyes, hiccuping and face red. 

"No way."

"Oh c'mon, you have to. I did anyway."

"Not in this lifetime."

"Come on, open wide…"

The stubborn girl shook her head vehemently, acting like one of her kindergarten students.

"Just drink it, will you?!" Kaoru stated loudly, getting irritated at the game.

"Why do I have to drink it?"

"The vampire guy will explain everything later. Drink up."

"Right." Misao grumbled, "Well, I guess it's better than YOUR tea."

"What? Did I hear anything?" A vein throbbed on Kaoru's forehead.

"Ahhhh… nothing, nothing." Misao secretly grinned, and drank the revolting mixture with one gulp. _Yuck! Gross… _She shuddered.

"Ah well… now that's done with…" Kaoru flopped on the bed beside the still spluttering Misao. " Don't you think this place is cool?"

"Yeah… it's really grandiose and a bit… eerie… my type of place!" Misao exclaimed cheerily, bouncing on the bed. "It's like we're in a castle of some sort."

"We are. And it's some unique one too… everything's made of stone. And the castle's BLACK. I've never seen anything like it."

Misao pondered over something that Aoshi had said earlier. "And this place belongs to Aoshi- sama?" 

"Well, not directly. I think he has a high position in this place… that's why he's able to smuggle us in here." Kaoru said seriously, looking around as if someone was listening. "Well, as I said, he'll explain later. Have you picked out anything to put on yet?" She grinned and stood up, turning around for friend to inspect her clothes. "It's old, but really pretty. I liked it the moment I set my eyes on it." 

The blue dress was made of silk, flowing around Kaoru's figure. It has a low neckline, but a white simple lace hid the more revealing part of it. The sleeves were cut simply, tight around the arms up to the elbows, but suddenly flaring out up to the wrists. It has a simple silver belt, hanging around her hips, twisted like a rope. The sweeping skirt reached down to her ankles, and revealed satin slippers that matched the dress. 

"Wow, Kaoru, it really looks good on you!" Misao expressed loudly, her eyes sparkling with interest and appreciation. "Well of course, I'm talking about the dress… not you!"

"Baka! Hmph! You're just jealous… I'll pick something up for you then." She stomped off towards the trunk and the littered clothes. "How about this yellow one?" 

"Toooo lacy." 

"Errrmmm… the pink?" she held up a heavily embroidered dress.

Misao yawned.

"Well, if you're not going to cooperate, Misao, might as well walk out there naked!" Kaoru gave up, throwing a something that's dark green over to Misao.

"Alright, alright…" She inspected the cotton fabric that was thrown at her. _Hmmm… nice shade of dark green… looks comfortable enough. _"I'll try this on." _Damned bossy woman. _She huffed into the bathroom.

* * *

"Misao-sensei! You look pertiieee!" Fuuma exclaimed, clapping his hands together, eyes sparkling. "You should wear that the rest of your life!" He grinned sheepishly at his teacher, then went back to playing at a corner with a small guillotine play set complete with dolls with heads that can be popped out. 

"Why thank you, Fuuma. But I can't very well wear this for the rest of my life, ne? I'll stink a whole lot! Besides, this dress is older than me!" She straightened out the green skirt and glanced shyly at Aoshi.

It was a pretty little masterpiece actually. It was a lightly embroidered dark green tunic over a light green shift with the sleeves slashed, showing the soft cloth underneath. It has a thick belt wrapped around her tiny waist, the excess dangling at her side. The tunic fell short just below her knees but the shift was longer, reaching down to her calves. Green, sturdy sandals adorn her dainty little feet, straps crisscrossed around her ankles. She looked like a wood nymph, lost in a gray castle. 

"It really is nice Misao!" Kaoru grinned mischievously at her, "but of course, I'm talking about the dress, not the wearer!" 

The woman in green stuck out her tongue to Kaoru. "Mou! Well, a point for you then. So…" she continued after taking a seat in one of the lush chairs in the library. "first of all, where exactly are we?" She looked directly at Aoshi. 

The vampire had been appraising Misao, appreciating the curves and the way the dress fits her like it was made for her. _She looks like she belongs here. _He shook his head, the question penetrating his skull. "We are in Nifleheim… the land of the dead."

__

Gah. What a kind of crap is this? Misao rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll play with you. So why are we here again?"

He narrowed his eyes then regained his stoic expression. "It did not seem safe for you to stay there… even in the safe house. I believe that the 'serial killer' had targeted you as his next victim." _This is a curious situation. There must be something here… something about her. _His thoughts whirled into many different possibilities. _This is too much of a coincidence. He might have found out about them knowing about creatures like us. _

ME?! Misao's face showed obvious surprise. _Why me? I'm no one special! There are so many girls out there that are so much prettier (but maybe not cuter) than me! _"What the hell are you talking about?" 

"I don't really know much about it myself but we're trying to find out about it."

"Okay then… Let's ditch that topic. So… How did I get here? Last thing I remember, I fell on something… or someone."

Aoshi looked away, his face reddening. 

Kaoru giggled, and said, "Well, apparently, Aoshi saved your life. He was coming up the hill when he saw you with a stranger at the balcony. He was already near when you fell and he caught you. Good thing he was there or you could've been injured seriously or even die." She sighed. 

"Oh. Well…" Misao bowed her head. "Thank you…" She said almost shyly. 

Aoshi reddened even more as he recalled the way he was feeling when he saw her on the balcony with a guy. _Well, so I was feeling a bit jealous. Who wouldn't when one decides on a prospect and finds that another vampire already caught her? _He composed himself, his shade turning back to his old pale self. _That wouldn't happen now, would it? This event makes things more complicated. I have to stay away for a few days. Investigating on this. _He clears his throat. "Have you told her already about the drink, Miss Kaoru?"

"Uhhh… no. I thought you'd tell her."

"Tell me what?"

"That only vampires are allowed inside the castle. Except for the slaves of course."

"You made me into a vampire?!!!"

"In a way, yes."

"WHAT?!" _This is too much for me… I think I'm going to puke._

"Well, not literally. I told the king that you were vampires. That's why you had to drink that. It was a welcoming drink and a test, in a sense, to see if you could take tea laced with human blood. I said you didn't heal because you haven't feed for a few days."

Misao's face turned green. _I am so going to barf…_

"Don't worry, a vampire feeds privately, so you don't have to worry about you having to feed with the rest of us. It might be too messy… with the blood and all. Oh, and the screams… tsk tsk. It's not a pretty picture."

Her cheeks puffed out, eyes bulging. _Right about… NOW! _

Misao fled from the room, going to a bathroom to relieve her suffering. _Damn him to hell… _she heaved up the last of it, wiped her mouth, washed her hands, and trudged back to the room. She glared at him through slitted eyes, daring him to go on. _Bastard. _

Aoshi had an 'innocent' look on his face, not giving anything away. Kaoru looked concerned and gave her a cup of water. The boy didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. As far as he could tell, Misao-sensei running back and forth through the door is already normal for him. 

"YOU know Kaoru, I'm not really good with blood." Misao glared, sending white, hot sparks at a certain vampire present in the room. 

"Well ah – " 

"Aoshi, my man… I didn't know you're already here! You should've told me!" A tall man with spiky hair burst through the door, smirking and shouting. He stopped, seeing the two women in the room and the young boy. "Am I interrupting something? You seem to be busy nowadays heh… *nudge nudge* two women at a time!" He laughed, making the two mentioned direct their anger at him. 

"Why you…"

"The nerve…!"

Both started moving towards the confused newcomer, vicious and ready to throttle. Aoshi stood up, thinking something about rash and fickle women not changing a bit… _I've got to stop this… damned Sano. _He moved towards them, intending to stop them before anything happens when…

"OHOHOHO!!! Tanuki! Weasel- girl! What are you doing here?! OHOHOHO!"

All stopped in their tracks, and stared at the long- haired beauty. 

"Megumi!"

"How did you…?"

"Megumi!!"

"How come you're…?"

"OHOHOHO! Slow down… I'm only one here you know…" She grinned, her face seems to glow more and her skin looked paler. But her features were more defined and she looked even more beautiful since Misao had seen her last. _Wow… she's really changed._ _Ahhh.. wait a second, isn't that guy the one we met in the bar? Oh no… they're everywhere! _

The 'spikey' haired guy grinned at her. "You bet."

__

Hmph. What an egotistical maniac. Misao smirked as the rooster head grinned even more. 

Megumi was still laughing, fox ears seemed to be popping out of her head. "Ohohoho… I am here with Sano. He just wanted to take me to the place where he grew up." 

"So you mean you're together?" Kaoru asked, astonishment in her voice.

"Yes… in a way. We're still trying it out. But there are times when I could just throttle him… and his rooster head… I kept asking him to cut it off but he wouldn't listen." Megumi's eyes glistened, mischievous and daring.

"Hey fox, you're not so perfect yourself."

"Oh? Well I am certainly better than most of the girls you dated."

"Actually, there's this really cute girl I dated just last month…"

Sparks flew. 

Misao sighed, the happiness and contentment seeping into her system. _I could get used to this. I've always wondered how to live during those old Medieval times. This place is perfect. _She grinned. _Yep. More adventures for me! _She looked at Aoshi and caught him staring at her. She blushed and looked away, studying the two bickering lovers. _Yes, I could get used to this very much._

* * *

Silver emerald eyes glinted by the shadows. _Yes, only a bit more Misao. _He grinned evilly, the whiteness of his teeth showing in the dark. _A bit more time and I could have everything I want… the throne, the power, and you. _He retreated.

* * *

"So what do you have for me?" Pale purple eyes dangerously glinted to yellow as the red haired agent slammed the quivering thin man on the wall. "Talk."

"I- I don't kno- know anything! Nothing, I tell ya!" the pitiful form whimpered and squirmed, but the grip on his throat was not eased a bit. Instead, it became tighter, almost choking the breath out of him. 

Battousai swiftly procured a wooden sword and placed its tip at the man's throat.

"All right! I'll talk! I'll talk!" The man squealed. "He's a crazy, that Shiro is… he already killed humans and vampires alike… he's crazy, man…"

"What do you know about his power?"

"He's really strong, stronger than anyone I've ever seen. Th- they say he's the new type of vampire… more powerful… something to do with evolution or stuff like that… a freak of nature." The grip relaxed, allowing him to breathe, but the wooden tip's still there. He gulped, thankful for the air and his life. He would never engage in these kinds of affairs anymore… ever. 

"All right." The redhead tossed a bag of golden coins at the heaving low life vampire. "Here. I'll come back for more information."

The man then greedily opened the bag and reveled in all the gold, already forgetting the hardship that he had gone through earlier. "Sure, man. Anytime." Then he melted away to the shadows, thinking of the different ways he would spend his precious catch.

Purple eyes narrowed, thinking. _This is a serious situation. He's not just any other vagabond, something might be up his sleeves. _He turned, walking away to report to the head. 

* * *

A/n: long… *weary eyes* drat it all. It's ten pages! Whoooo!!! *grin grin* well, though this is sort of a weird chapter.. (sorry!) well, I'm too stressed out lately (more than the usual dose) and I'm really sorry for updating this just now. :P

Ahh well, just want to say thanks to all! Especially to the following people: *beaming smile* 

DarkFairy: Hehe… gomen for the late update! Hope you liked this one… it's longer. Hehehe.

Crystal: well, I guess it's not for the rest of my life. I'm more than half- way already. :P

Zackire: Glad to have piqued your interest! Hope you keep reading! J 

Me me me and only me: well, I like creepy! 

Mai: Gomen! Well, this is the longest chapter I've written.. though I do believe it's not really as interesting as the others are… :P

YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko: *****phew* what a long name! Well, I'm working on it! Thanks for the review!

Nekonomiko: ehehehe… you're a vamp now eh? Careful, Kenshin might hunt you! *nyehehe*

Luli451: Thanks for reading my fic! This one's longer. (a bot too long I guess). Hope you like it! :P

Lebleuphenix: thanks a lot! Well, the plot is getting thicker. You know what they say… blood is thicker than water. (wahahaha! What's the connection? Wahaha! :P)

Amphibious cloud: wehehehe… well.. I think I have a twisted mind. 

Kats: gomen for the lack of Kenshin parts. As I said before, I'm not really concentrating on him. And he's sort of in between Battousai and Kenshin.. (schizo? Nah… maybe.)

Phoe2K: waaahhh! Sino 'to???? *think think* daya… I forgot! Well, thanks for reviewing! Ahehehe… kaw talaga.. :P

Selph: Well, thanks! I'm really glad you liked it! :P

Neko- chan: sorry!!! *goes down on knees and apologizes* I seem to have cliffhangeritis… a sickness that makes me want to write cliffhangers.. ahehehe..

Yuko Hoon: Ummm… that's just the way my mind works, I guess. Ehehehe. Well.. I'll see if I could fit the rest in. Thanks for the suggestion! J 

Phew… what a day! well, thank you all! I hope you read and review! ^_^


	13. The mysterious king

Author's notes: Hallo minna-san! ^_^ Well, I decided that I should type another chapter before I go back to school from our long vacation because I will most probably not be able to write for at most a week because of the mountain of work that our damned teachers will give us. (waha! run- on sentence… I don't care!!) *sigh* I have no social life anymore. Wait a second, what's social life? *blank face* I haven't come across that term in years. *blank blank*

Oh well. At least I have planned some of the events out already *yeah! Clap clap* That's a first for me. ^_^ And it's really exciting too, if I do say so myself. *beaming proud*

Well… yes, I'm Pinay… and proud to be! *gets a medal for loyalty* ahehehe… ^_^ amidst all the chaos, there is still hope and light. *naks! Waaahhhttever!* 

Er…. Here it is! Enjoy reading!

Disclaimer: I own Rurouni Kenshin. So sue me. *raises up hands* all right, all right… I don't! Please don't sue me… please!!! *begs down on her knees and pokes at the policeman* 

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

The heavy door of the library was silently opened, this gone unnoticed by the cheery group that gathered around the room. Shrieks and some bickering abruptly stopped as a woman's shy voice 'ahermed' and called attention. 

"My master, the King, summons you all to the Great Chamber in an hour's time." The servant bowed meekly and turned away and silently closed the door, oblivious to the astonished stares that were directed towards her.

"Well… now why would he want to see us?" Kaoru said thoughtfully.

"Well, Tanuki, we seldom have visitors here, and it is customary for them to be presented to the king." Sano smirked. "The king won't be alone. Other nobles and those of high ranks will also be there. In other words, you'd be like some specimen observed under the microscope."

Midnight blue eyes flared. "Who are you calling Tanuki?!"

"Ohohoho! And just when did you get all smart on me now, rooster head? Ohohoho!"

"I've picked up some things along as the centuries passed by," the tall vampire grinned, "besides, it works well with the women." 

"Hey! Is anyone listening to me?!" Kaoru rambled on.

Misao sat, looking thoughtfully at nothing in particular, thinking of the scrutiny ahead. _Uh oh… all of those creepy ancient vampires out there that's just itching to get fresh blood! Gah! _She shuddered, imagining dirty old vampires reaching for a grope. _Yuck. No thank you. _"May we not go?"

Blue- green eyes flashed. "It would be an insult to the king, and it might mean death to the visitor for not accepting the hospitality given to him or her." Aoshi's eyes lightened. "Don't worry, we're all civil here."

"Well, in that case, I'll gladly go!" Misao nervously exclaimed. "Do I have to change or something?" Her face scrounged up, not wanting to go through the ordeal of choosing another dress. _Sure they're all nice and gorgeous, which really suits me, but it's such a bother going through all that dust and… cockroaches and… lace… yuck. Definitely not the lace please. _

"No, you already look fine in that dress, Misao." Aoshi quietly spoke.

Misao blushed, heating up at the compliment. 

Sano shrugged and said, "Well, that's that. I'm gonna give foxy lady here a tour of the castle before the big presentation." He circled his arms around the furious Megumi's waist. 

"Haven't I told you before not to call me fox? It makes me sound like an animal, rooster head!"

"Now who's calling animal names here?"

"Well you started it first! And I'm not going to tour with you… I still have to fix my hair, my make- up…"

"You already look damned fine to me… Come on! Let's go!" Sano stirred Megumi out of the room and into the hallway. 

Fuuma then silently trudged towards his sensei while rubbing his eyes with his fist. "Kaoru- san, I want to take a nappy."

"All right, I'll take you to your room. We still have an hour anyway." Kaoru picked up the sleepy boy and paused by the door, and called back to Misao. "Coming?"

"Yeah!" Misao stood up the chair and took a glimpse at the vampire. The raging fire on the fireplace silhouetted him, shadows playing over his handsome face. His expression was stoic as usual, but his eyes were misty, thinking about something. His hair was arranged around his face in such a way that makes him look like an angel. _Yeah, more like the devil. He really is handsome, though. Too bad he's a vamp. _She sighed and turned around, walking towards the door. "See you later, Aoshi- sama."

"Misao, wait."

The startled girl stopped in her tracks, her heart beating rapidly. _Did he read my mind again? Drat it… I should practice shielding my thoughts… _"Yes?"

The vampire stood, and walked towards her. Stopping right before her, towering over her, making her look up at him. "Do you know…" He paused, then shook his head and sat back down on one of the nearby chairs. "Never mind. Thank you, Misao."

Confused and intrigued, Misao lightly bowed and left the room. _Now that's weird. I wonder what he was going to tell me? Maybe he wanted to warn me about my outrageous thoughts… I really should take control of them and my imagination. _She walked in the hall, the sound of her tapping sandals echoing in the hallway. 

__

I really should stop this. Aoshi thought as he stared at the flames, flickering and dancing. _What is she to me anyway? She's just some dumb human vermin. I'll have to check at my emotions. _His eyes suddenly flickered at that realization. _Since when did I start having emotions again? I'm just confused. I have to think of the case. _He continued staring at the flames, now red, now orange, now light blue. It froze, an icicle that resembled the vampire's now frozen heart. 

* * *

__

Damn it to hell… 

Misao turned sharply to her left, expecting to see the entrance to the Great Hall. Instead, another long hallway turned up, lined with ancient armors, eerily guarding the halls, watching the ones who passes by. She nervously picked up her pace, her feet tapping more urgently. _This gives me the creeps. I never thought the castle could be so huge… and I'm lost!!! Who knows whatever weird creature might be waiting around the next corner, ready to pounce on a helpless victim, sucking out all the blood… WAAAHHH!!! Kami- sama… help me! _She then paused, vaguely hearing someone come up behind her. _Relax… relax… _She turned around slowly. Nothing. 

__

Okay. Imagination running berserk again. Come on! You're going to be late! She started sprinting down the hallway, looking for a door of some sort. 

*Tap tap tap*

__

No! Someone or something's after me! She ran faster, frantically twisting around, trying to see the pursuer. 

*Tap tap tap* 

__

This is definitely not my imagination! 

She turned to the right and… *OOOMMMPPHHH!* 

__

Iteeee… She patted the lump in her head and looked up. Blue eyes, as blue as the sky, stared down at her. A smile so kind and friendly, one would want to laugh and smile with him. "Hello there. Are you lost?"

Misao nodded dumbly. 

The stranger smiled once more. "My name is Soujiro. You must be the newcomer. I am glad to be your acquaintance." He held out his hand, pale and soft like a baby's. She shook it. "Well now, are you going to the Great Hall? May I accompany you there?"

"Su- sure." Misao stuttered, still not recovering completely from the previous scare and the shock of meeting this man. "My name is Misao." She gave a tentative smile and placed her hand on the arm that he offered. "Are you a vampire too?"

__

Wait… uh oh. Baaadd question. "Well.. I- I mean… have you been here long?"

Soujiro laughed, perfect white teeth flashing, making her feel comfortable around him. "Well, you really must be new here. Everyone allowed in this castle must be a vampire. And I've practically lived here all my life. Well, I do go out sometimes but I prefer being here. This is a beautiful place." He said wistfully, looking out the windows they're passing that overlooks the rose garden. 

"Yes, it is a beautiful place. A bit imposing but both mysterious and magnificent at the same time." Misao said. She looked at him, noting his fine chiseled features and the bright smile that flashed at her. _Too much for the dirty old vampires that I imagined. Is everyone here so gorgeous? _She shook her head and stared at the hallway in front of her. "Sooo… have you ever tried to learn how to drive?"

Soujiro scrounged up his face, looking quite adorable. "I've tried it but if I remember it right, I earned a total of five violations on my first day. I never drove ever since. I'm the best in horseback riding though."

"Well! You and Kaoru might get along well… though she's as stubborn as they come." Light laughter tinkled along the hallway as the two walked leisurely towards the Great Hall. 

* * *

Aoshi looked up from his favorite place in the garden when he heard light laughter coming from inside the castle. The glitter in his blue eyes and the small smile forming on his face was suddenly wiped out as he saw Misao with Soujiro, going along well together. His fingers crushed the thorny stem of the rose that he was holding, unaware of the blood flowing freely on his hands. 

* * *

"Presenting, your Royal Highness, the King of Nifleheim!" 

*Clap Clap Clap* 

__

Gaaahhh… Yawn! I'm bored out of my mind here. Misao thought as she tried to keep up the fake smile plastered on her face. She had been meeting lots of nobles, lords and ladies, bowing and greeting like a stiff puppet. _I'm not made for these kinds of parties. _She stifled a yawn. _Well, at least the king's here at last. Geesh, no wonder these people need immortal life. It would take three lifetimes to wait for the king to come out of his shell. Doesn't he know what punctuality means? _

She glanced at Kaoru, speaking to another noble, Enishi. He had white hair and pure silver eyes, his attention completely concentrated on Kaoru. _Okay, that is one creepy vampire. _She shifted her gaze at Fuuma, who was pampered by most of the female population of the vampires. _Well now, ain't he the popular one. _She saw Sano and Megumi in a group, flirting with everyone there, trying to get one another jealous. She chuckled at this and her eyes scanned the room and settled at one particular smiling man. _He's not so bad. He's a cool friend… that Soujiro guy's actually the nicest vampire I've met the whole day. Speaking of male vamps, I wonder where… _She felt someone pull at her and whisper at her ear. "Come on, it is time for you to be presented to the king." 

Irritated, she turned her blazing blue eyes to Aoshi. "All right, all right, now don't be in a huff. I'll just get Kaoru and Fuuma." She stalked off, not exactly understanding why she acted that way. _It's the whispering thing. It gives me the creeps. _A small voice inside her head added, _or maybe it gives you the shivers? It's two completely different things, girl. _Her normal state of thinking protested. _Oh shut up. _

Reaching Kaoru, she tapped her friend's shoulder. "Come on Kaoru, it's time!" 

The woman swiftly turned, her eyes showing gratitude. "Thanks!" She whispered, "Enishi's well and good but he's… well… weird. There's something in his eyes that…" 

Misao looked at her strangely. "Okay, never mind." Kaoru shook her head and tried to scan for Fuuma. _There's sort of some weird obsession in his eyes that really scared me. Well, I might just be tired of all this. _She spotted him talking to the womenfolk. _Aww… how cute. Just a boy and already a heartthrob. _After some pushing and prodding, she was at last able to extract Fuuma from the group. _Well, here we go! _

Misao patted out her tunic and placed a cheery look on her face. _Here we go then! _

* * *

"Your Royal Highness, presenting… Makimachi Misao!" 

Misao stepped forward, a confident smile on her face. She studied the king, his surprisingly finely toned body garbed in gaudy clothes that peculiarly suits him. His face, however, was young, smooth with no wrinkles. His long, wavy hair shone in the candle light, lustrous and full. Then Misao got a jolt as she stared in his eyes… his eyes were the most magnificent silvery- red, staring straight at anyone, trying to see into everything, revealing secrets, creating fear. She was suddenly lost in them. 

She closed her eyes, and opened them again. 

She was in an endless void, different colors swimming all around her, the more prominent ones were of silver and red. She was floating in some sort of a dense atmosphere. 

__

Where am I?

Makimachi Misao. Who are you truly? And why are you here? A deep voice resonated all around her, seeping into her body, her bones. 

__

I… I am me. I'm just an ordinary girl… What do you mean?

You are not one of us. Why are you here?

I- I don't know. 

You are a vermin. You must be executed. You must die.

No, please! I beg you, don't! There's something I must do…

And what is that?

There's something of importance… I do not remember. I only know that it is of great significance… for your kind and for the humans. 

Yes. I see now. It is not yet revealed to you, your true identity. Your true purpose. You must wait and be patient. The voice started to fade away.

Wha- wait! I don't understand! I didn't know where that came from! 

It's hidden deep inside you… until the time comes… patience. The voice was gone.

"Misao… Misao! Hey!" someone furiously whispered at her ear.

Misao jolted pout of her reverie, eyes misty and confused. _What does that mean? What is this all about? _"Wha- what?"

"Bow, you idiot! It's the king!" Kaoru hissed.

Misao looked at the king, as glorious as ever. He seemed to nod at her, his face showing no emotions whatsoever. She quickly did a curtsy and stepped back. _Darn it all! What the hell is happening to me!?! _

"Misao, shall we dance?" Aoshi held out his hand at the confused woman, waiting for her answer. _Strange, something must've happened between her and father. _"Are you all right?" 

"Why… uh… yes of course! Why would you say that? Ehehehe…" Misao took his hand. "Though I warn you, I'm not good at all in dancing." She wrinkled her dainty little nose. 

__

Cute. He coughed and said, "Well, just follow my lead. Try not to step on my toes."

"Haha. I didn't know the icy vampire has a sense of humor." Misao smirked.

"Well I didn't know too." Aoshi said quietly to himself as he whisked Misao away to the dance floor, every pair of eyes on them, thinking of the two people that are complete opposites but that complement each other very well, very well indeed. 

* * *

Author's notes: Bah. Okay, if you're kind of confused, that's a normal thing. Frankly, I'm quite confused myself! Ahahaha! Joke… of course I know what's going to happen… nyahahaha! (well… I think…) *grin* ^_^

Ah! Aoshi's in a weird position, isn't he? Ahahaha! I'm such a mean author… mixing up[ people's feeling like that… *evil grin* well, hopefully, the next chapter will reveal what he really feels. Nyehehehe.

Oh, If you're wondering who the king is, well, he's not a character in Rurouni Kenshin. I sort of just made him up. Don't worry, he won't show up anymore. He's just some powerful king who really looks into people's minds. I just showed Misao's because… well, he just looked in HER mind, not in Kaoru's mind or Fuuma's. gaah. I wrote a really weird chapter this time, didn't I? *sigh* 

Oh god. I forgot Kenshin again. *hides form the evil mob that's chasing her* Maa maa… he's going to come out the next chapter… and washing too! Ahahaha!!! :P

Oh well, just wanted to say thank you, THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone! ^_^

Yuko Hoon: Well.. thanks about the info! *grin* But I'm thinking of changing him to Shougou instead… I don't know… so that the readers can actually see or something? Well, I'll put up something later! ^_^

DarkFairy: Thanks! ^_^ Well… I don't know if this one's good… not much humor. No more roaches… *awww.. how sad* Well, I'll try better next time!

A. Pikachu: Oi! Kabayan! *waves hands crazily in the air* cool.. never thought there'd be many of us here. Ehehe.

Neko- chan: Thanks! Love the roach bit. Ehehehe. :P

JadOo: Oops! Thanks for reminding me!!! darn… I'm too lazy to change it. Let's just say it's Fuuma, okay? Hahaha! :P Ketchup song my ass.

The *Spangled* Pandemonium: Wow! You're pinoy also? Wahahaha! Cooolll… we're taking all over the world! *looks around cautiously* Okay, that's a scary statement… wow… I'm soo happy! *grin grin* 

Lebleuphenix: thanks! Well, Misao's not ACTUALLY a vampire… not yet anyway. Oops! *clomps hand over mouth* well… ehehehe…

Karasu: yeah! All right… *sings the game k na ba theme song… tantantantan…* wahahaha! The host just irritates me though…

Lil_witch: Yeah… can you believe that? Aoshi blushed… wahahaha! Oocness… *grin* Well, Megumi is a vampire already here. I have just yet to mention it. Damn. I knew I forgot something. 

Selph: Thanks! Glad you like it! I know… it's crazy 'coz I'm crazy! Bwahahaha! ^_^'

Nekonomiko: Hello a-la-vampire with a cape! Gomen for not making Kenshin show up here… he's gonna show up in the next chapter… don't worry! I'll bring them all together in one place so it wouldn't be so hard for me! ^_^ 

Thanks so much! Hope you keep READING AND REVIEWING! *hint hint* luv ya guyz! ^_^


	14. Gourmet kisses

Author's notes: Ahhh!!! *Grins like an idiot* I love the feeling of freedom: NO MORE BRACES!!! Gomen, I just had to share that. *keeps grinning like an idiot* Still, I have to wear those damned retainers. Now I can't pronounce the letter s. Can't even pronounce my name! It comes out Te-tchu-ka. Bah.

Anyway, just want to say… Gomen nasai minna-san!!! ~_~ I haven't updated lately because of cramming my projects. Oh, and our finals are next week. What a very nice Christmas gift from the school. *grumbles* Well, Before I study and burst my brains, I shall write the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it! ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. But I have a plan that will make sure I will own it some day. *bwahahaha!!* (hah. You wish) Shut up! *bonks conscience*

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

*grumble, churn, grumble*

Kaoru looks cautiously around, making sure that no one was there to hear her stomach complaining on the lack of food. She rounded the next corner, expecting to see a sign that says: 'HUMAN FOOD THIS WAY', but to no avail. _Drat it, I haven't eaten since the ball last night when they only served appetizers, more for the flavor than for the sustenance._ She pondered on while walking hesitantly here and there, not stopping at the insistence of her stomach._ Still, if there's food like that here, there must be a kitchen in this cold castle somewhere. Besides, the slaves are human. They must eat something to be kept alive. _Then a horrible thought entered her brain. _Not unless… they're here to die because the vampires suck their blood! _She shuddered, banishing those kinds of thoughts from her mind. 

Suddenly, a most enticing aroma surrounded Kaoru, filling her senses, giving her empty stomach a taste of what's to be eaten. Leaving little droplets of drool trailing behind her, she followed that sweet scent to its origin. She came upon a small black door by the narrow staircase on the tower. The smells seem to be coming from just inside that door! She eagerly pushed it open and almost fainted at what she saw.

Heaps of food were on a huge, stone table, though not arranged artfully, it certainly is enticing. Right in the middle there were spiced chicken on a huge platter, soft, steaming rolls on a basket, and some sweet pastry arranged on a small plate. On the other side, sashimi, sushi and sukiyaki ruled that corner. With it were thick white noodles and the fluffiest tempura that she ever saw. On the left end were steaming pastas with different kinds of sauces on small bowls, chilled wine, and different kinds of meats and cheeses. Kaoru stood stunned, goggling over the array of tempting yet suspicious feast.

__

The hell with suspicion! I'm hungry! ITADAKIMASU!!!!! She started gobbling up every food that her hands grabbed on, stuffing her face with the best food she'd ever tasted in her whole life. She didn't care or even thought about feeling guilty on what she was doing, only a fleeting thought and it was gone with the food that vanished on her mouth. After a while, she laid on the stone bench by the side, mouth still chewing, but a happy stomach quietly processing the eaten food. _Huh, must be a world record. _She sighed in contentment. _I'll close my eyes for a while. All that eating made me so tired… I won't sleep… it's just for… a… while. _*snore*

"HEY!! Where's my food??!!!" A bratty voice shouted by the entrance of the chamber, clearly irritated and distressed at the sight of the missing food. 

Kaoru groggily sat up and pointed daggers at the source of the voice. "Hey, do ya mind? I'm resting here!"

"Why, you busu! You ate all my food!"

"I did not!" Kaoru vehemently denied, at the same time brushing off the crumbs from her mouth.

"Yes you did! There's guilt written all over your face! And the evidence is clearly seen!"

"What evidence?"

"The empty plates, the trail of food going to the bench your sitting on, and not to mention that bloated belly of yours and the crumbs surrounding you!" The boy pointed out all the obvious reasons, feeling all-high-and-mighty. 

Kaoru looked at the table, devoid of any food, the plates piled up on one side, threatening to fall. Shock crept up her face. _I ate all that?! _She looked at her belly, slightly protruding from her purple gown. _No! I'm getting fat! _She started exercising vigorously, doing sit-ups and jumping jacks in front of the bemused kid, arms and legs not seen at the speed of her movements. 

"What is happening here? Oro?" A certain redhead with purple eyes came in the food chamber, holding a tub full of soapy water and yet-to-be-washed laundry. 

Kaoru stopped, sweating profusely, her clothes sticking to her body. Her deep blue eyes widened at the sight of the man in front of her. She pointed shakily at him and said quite loudly, "KENSHIN! What are you doing here?"

"Oro?"

"Hey Kenshin," the annoying boy called out, approaching the confused man. "Do you know this busu? Is she a new slave? Let's report her to the Head Butler! She ate all my food!" He ended with a whine.

"Well… I… I… was hungry and… I couldn't find anything to eat… please don't tell anyone, Kenshin!"

"Oro?"

"Now what's all this racket?" a clearly irritated woman came in, hands on her hips. She surveyed the room and understood the situation. "Yahiko, please close the door immediately. We don't want anyone else to see this now, would we?"

"But… but… Tae! She ate all my food!" A stern stare made him move towards the door and close it silently.

"Now, let's settle this. Kenshin, you can make more of those kinds of food now, can't you? The Head Butler would need to taste your food before you are completely accepted here as a cook and washer. He can wait a few hours. Now Yahiko," She turned slightly at the pouting boy. "You shut your mouth about this or you'll find yourself doing your and Tsubame's chores for a whole month!" 

"All right… what's with all the hush anyway?"

"I'll explain later. Now go along now while I talk to this poor girl. You too Kenshin."

Yahiko trudged begrudgingly out the door, mumbling about crazy people eating his food. Kenshin gave a mysterious look at Kaoru, his eyes temporarily glinted yellow, then gave her a smile and walked outside, closing the door behind him. Kaoru wondered at the hidden meaning of the look, and at the same time, warm tingles went down her spine. Then she realized that someone was talking to her. "Wha- what?"

"I said, I know about you. Master Aoshi trusted me enough to tell me that you three are all humans, and I was assigned to take care of you." The kind woman smiled gently at Kaoru. "I was about to bring you the food to your chamber in a laundry basket and you came and saved me all the trouble."

"But I thought the food was for the Head Butler?"

"Yeah, well, that's something that I made up as an excuse for Kenshin to be cooking all that food." Tae tapped her chin lightly, thinking. "Though I'm afraid he overdid himself." She sighed and continued. "I must let Yahiko and Kenshin in the secret though. They'll be curious about you. Oh don't worry about them… they'll keep it, stubborn that boy is. And Kenshin's naturally good so he'll be okay."

Kaoru barely contained her smirk, but was able to control her expression. _Naturally good? I don't think so. _"I'm really sorry about eating all of it. I'm afraid nothing's left for Misao and Fuuma." She twiddled her thumbs, feeling guilty about not thinking of her friends and leaving something for them to eat. 

"Don't worry about that!" Tae smiled warmly at her, eyes not seen at the crinkled up face, "Kenshin's taking care of that, remember?" She then slightly pushed the fretting girl out the food chamber. "Now go and get some rest. I believe that eating that much and exercising vigorously afterwards is not very good for one's help. Let me take care of this mess." She shooed her away, her hands waving.

"Thank you so much." Kaoru bowed gratefully and started back to her room. _Humans here are so nice even though they're slaves. Maybe they're given privileges. _She shrugged and thought of Kenshin and his mysterious appearance at the castle. _That's strange though. Why is he here? _She kept thinking of various possibilities as she walked on the cold hallway.

* * *

__

Mmmmm…. That was a nice sleep. Misao languorously stretched, her eyes fluttering open at the sunlight coming through the slitted windows. She hopped off the soft bed and did some stretches. She put on a simple khaki tunic over a white underskirt and braided her long hair. She fingered the amber pendant that was with her ever since she could remember. She hummed cheerily, thinking of the night she had the day before, the incident with the king completely forgotten. Aoshi had asked for the last dance and she had agreed. They danced and danced, like there was no tomorrow. 

She sighed and looked at the mirror, her cheeks having a light blush. _Then he escorted me to my room and that's the end of it. _She frowned at how suddenly cold and formal he seemed. _I thought he was enjoying it. I did. _She brushed her thoughts away, walking towards the door adjoining hers and Fuuma's room, thinking of checking up on him. _Well, what do I care anyway? If he's indifferent, I can be too. _She opened the door slightly, glimpsing at the curled up figure in the bed. Her eyes softened and she tiptoed towards it, tucking in the sheet tightly around him, and kissed his head. _What a brave little boy. _She went out, silently closing the door behind her. 

* * *

He was falling for her, there's no denying it. Evil silver emerald green eyes narrowed. She was perfect. The obsession grew more inside him and he let it engulf him and his entire being. _I'm going to have her. She's going to be mine. Soon. _An evil smile replaced the scowl on Shiro's face as he thought of the plan that he thought up last night, polishing it, perfecting it. 

* * *

Later that night, Misao was strolling beside Soujiro in the rose garden that she saw yesterday. She sighed as her eyes feasted on the most beautiful roses she had ever seen. Soujiro was a fine person to be with, always smiling, polite and even funny at some point. She was looking earlier for Aoshi, for some odd unknown reason she had wanted to see him, and Soujiro came along. He had asked if she wanted to tour the black castle, and she readily agreed. He had been courteous and fun to be with. Still, he was a bit boring and eerie, especially when she caught him staring at her, with some strange expression on his face. _I want someone who's exciting and mysterious. _She caught herself comparing the two men, Aoshi and Soujiro. She paled. _Stop it Misao. He might read your thoughts. _She had already practiced shielding it from other people last night. She shrugged, and stared at the roses again.

"Misao, would you wait for me for just a second? I'll just get something." Soujiro was gone from her sight in a blink. He came back again, just as fast, holding something in his hands. It was red and furry. _Awww… how sweet. He brought me a cute red stuffed toy. _She smiled at him and asked, "What is it?"

He blushed and sheepishly handed the thing to her. "Here, I want you to have this."

She cringed inwardly at she stared wide-eyed at the dead furry rabbit, neck twisted in an impossible position, blood seeping at its fur. _EEEEEPPP!! Poor rabbit!! How could he do this? _She stepped backwards from Soujiro, looking at him like he was some demented serial killer. _He is a demented serial killer! Of poor, unsuspecting rabbits! What did they ever do to him???_

"What's wrong?" He asked worriedly, noting the stance she had, her hands in a defensive position, blues eyes with a hint of green in them, glaring at him in anger. "You were a bit quiet and your complexion paled. I thought you were hungry. I didn't see you hunt last night, that's why I brought this to you." He sadly lowered his eyes and put the poor rabbit down, blood and all, to the ground. 

Misao gulped. She remembered that she was supposed to be a vampire. _What am I supposed to do? I'm so stupid. Argh… how did I get into this mess? _She gulped again, now staring at the twisted body of the rabbit. She must do the inevitable. "Oh… well… how thoughtful of you." She managed to speak. Soujiro's eyes lit up. "I was so tired last night I went straight to bed. Thank you for the offer." 

She hesitantly reached to the furry thing and picked it up. She shivered as she felt the still-warm body and saw the blood, the sticky substance that she was so afraid of. She gulped again, her throat constricting, making her unable to breathe. _I'm going to faint… no I can't! I have to do this to show him… _She brought it up to her lips, eyes shut tightly. _Oh please, let this not be as horrible as it looks like. _

"Oh there you are. I've been looking all over for you two." Aoshi suddenly emerged from the bushes, walking in his slow, determined way. He directed his cold gaze at Soujiro. "The king is looking for you. He wants to talk to you about your land." 

Soujiro apologetically glanced at Misao and bowed. "I'll be but a moment." 

"Oh take your time… please." Misao's voice quivered as she put the poor dead animal behind her and dropped it in the bushes. "Take all the time you need." She smiled, hoping that he won't see the falseness in it. _Go away, go away…_

"Thank you, Misao. You are very kind." He turned swiftly and walked towards the exit of the garden. She released the breath she was unconsciously holding. She sat at a nearby bench, avoiding to look at her bloodied hands and the cadaver on the grass. She smiled gratefully at Aoshi. "Thank you so much. If you hadn't come here at the right time –"

"What were you doing with him?"

She recoiled, surprised at the harsh tone he was using and the anger she saw in his silvery green eyes. _Why is he like this? _"What do you mean? He just invited me to tour the castle grounds. He didn't do any harm."

"Harm?" He smirked, "Being with him is already harmful in itself. You are supposed to be a vampire. If I hadn't come along, you would've been in big trouble." He spat out, clearly disgusted. "I was surprised you didn't puke all over him."

Angry and hurt, she stood up, blue eyes flashing at silver green. "Well he was very courteous and kind… not like someone I know!" She exclaimed, her small frame trembling and her face reddening at the anger she felt towards this man in front of her. _How dare he! He doesn't have the right to judge me!_

"He's dangerous, Misao. Behind that mask of fake innocence and kindness, that man has killed hundreds. Do you like danger, Misao?" He stepped towards her. She stepped back. "I can be dangerous. More dangerous than he is." His eyes flashed, completely silver. 

Totally afraid now, she backed up some more and the small of her back met the stone wall of the garden. Her necklace came undone as it caught on a thorn in a rosebush. _What is he doing?! _"Stop it!" She said at he came even closer, merely inches away. "Stop! Or… or… I'll scream!" 

He laughed, a cold sound ringing in her ears. "And who would help you? No one. We're in the garden and no on can hear you. Besides, they'll find out about you being a human. You'll be in a worse situation. I'll be kind, like your dear Soujiro, and kill you instantly." 

He crept closer, his fangs growing longer and more delicate. No hint of green can be seen in his eyes, no hint of pity, of any emotion except that confusing rage that gave off dangerous sparks. She couldn't move. His hard gaze keeping her immobile. She had never felt this degree of terror before. Now she couldn't do anything about it. 

His hand roughly pulled her against his hard body, snaking around her tiny waist. His other hand went up around her head, on the back of her throat. He pulled her head to the side, showing the creamy white skin on her neck. He leaned towards, anger and something else filling his entire being.

Misao closed her eyes in defeat. _This is it. Goodbye world. Goodbye everyone. Goodbye Aoshi…_

And she felt the warmest sensation on her skin. She slightly opened her eyes, misty blue astonished and amazed. It doesn't hurt. Wait… he was kissing her. His mouth was doing wonders on her skin, raining kisses on her neck, going up to her jaw. His tongue flicked at the curve of her jaw and she sighed in pleasure, her hands coming up this back, kneading the supple muscle there and went up the neck and played with his hair. She pulled him closer as desire overcame her fear.

Aoshi shuddered, his eyes closed, his mouth continuing to rain kisses on her face. He can't… _This wasn't supposed to happen. _He groaned as she played with his hair at the nape of his neck, her light fingers giving him a sweet sensation tingling down his spine. He can't… he wouldn't… and he kissed her full in the lips.

Misao sighed as he finally kissed her there, completely at his mercy. He was hesitant at first, but when she opened her mouth under him, he ravaged her, deepening the kiss, thirsty for more. She moaned as he continued, slipping his tongue inside her mouth. 

He couldn't stop. His senses are drunk from her, her smell, her taste, her feel. He's couldn't get enough of her. And he's thirsty for more. For her blood. For her to be with him entirely, intimately, body and blood. He kissed his way back down to her throat… and bit. 

Blinding pain shot through her system, jolting her out of the haziness that covered her before. _What the hell is he doing? _"No… stop! Please…" She kicked and punched, but he didn't budge. 

He was determined to get what he wanted. He wouldn't stop now. Then, a bright white light flashed in his brain, pain jolting all over his body. _What the – _ He suddenly released her, stepping away, his hands on his head. Blow after blow of blinding light attacked him. When it was finally through, he was down on his knees, eyes wild with pain. "What did you do to me?"

Astonished and petrified, she stood there, looking down at him. "I… I didn't do anything!" Then she felt something in her hand. She looked at her fist, and opened it, her amber pendant gleamed in the moonlight. In some inexplicable way, she had somehow gotten hold of it. She stared, blue eyes wide, body trembling. 

His chest heaving, he stood up, eyes cold once again. "Don't play with me… you did something, and I intend to find out."

Indignant at his statement, she spat out, "You're the one who bit me, mister!"

"You urged me on."

"You started the kiss!"

"You flirted with Soujiro!" 

Understanding dawned on her. "You were jealous, weren't you?"

He stayed silent. After a while, he walked away and tossed a few words back to her. "There's something you're hiding. And I intend to find out." He vanished in the night. 

She slumped down to the bench, stunned and cold. _I don't even know myself. _She looked at her hands, caked with dried blood. She turned away and puked at the bushes, the still, night air adding to her melancholy, the moon shining on the substance in the bushes, looking very much like blood.

* * *

A/n: Waaahhh!!! Sao how do you like it?? *sniff sniff* Not bad… not bad at all! *grin!* I think I work better when I'm sick without braces. *sneezes*

Oh well, just wanted to remind you all that Shiro is not exactly Shirojo. I don't even remember the guy. *shrugs* Oh well, towel… *hahaha!*

Oh, just want to thank the super great readers! 

Soul: Don't worry! They'll appear more in this story! ^_^

Diablo: Yep… Aren't I the evil one. *laughs evilly* I love jealousy! (hey that rhymes!)

Noa: Yay! I'm so happy you reviewed! *grins like an idiot* Yup. You are so right about having to place Kenshin in ficcies… Originally, I didn't plan on putting him. But, well. Demands are high. Tsk tsk… Well, Aoshi couldn't dig deep into her thoughts anymore because she's learning to shield them. And I was supposed to put Hiko as the king but… *shrug* I changed my mind. Well, I might take you up on the "cameo" thing… that's a good suggestion! Thanks for reviewing! :P

ZenryokuZ: Yeah, isn't jealousy real fun? Nyahahaha! 

DarkFairy: I'm afraid Misao's purpose will be reveal much later… don't worry! You can guess… haha! 

Zackire: Gomen Gomen! I was sick and lots of stuff to do… well, hope you liked the chapter! It is longer, anyway. Longer than the others I've done. ^_^

Phoe2k: Hay Marianne! Thanks ha… no, we're not rivals. She only has what, 9 chappies and she already has 200 or something reviews? And I can never compete with her great artistic writing! *goes on knees and praises Camry*

Selph: Ahehehe… I'm still trying to figure out where I'd put them. They might be just minor characters.. like some other nobles and stuff. 

The *Spangled* Pandemonium: Nyahahaha! Glad you liked it! *grin* Game k n b themes song? Bwahahahaha!! Lol…

A. Pikachu: Yeah… I have lots of classmates too who have accounts here. *glares daggers at some specific people who might just be reading this* ^_^ Well, I guess we do have a Soujiro/Aoshi/Misao love triangle. Sort of. Ehehehe. :P

Nekonomiko: hahaha! Don't burn the cape! It's cool.. hahaha!!! ^_^ 

Tigerlily: Thanks so much for reading this! Glad you liked it. Well, Misao's secret is yet to come out. So I'm really sorry if you have to be a bit more patient. *grin*

Kats: Ahhh… errr… I might put something like that. Ehehehe… don't worry, I'm not leaving them out. ^_^ 

Crystal Arie: Damn. You shouldn't have read this!! *Bonks Camry in the head* Don't read it again!!! *huff huff* Oh well.. Exams. I'm so going to die. *x marks on eyes* Hey! Continue with bmg! Or else!!! *bring out a compass and starts chasing camry around with it* 

Oh well, thanks so much!! I'm really happy on how this is coming out. ^_^ Oh well, gtg. Have to sleep. Ja! ^_^ 

Oh yeah… READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! *grin grin* 


	15. The Ch'nage

Author's notes: Hello! *siiigggghhhhh* at last… vacation! *sobs in relief* I haven't had a decent sleep at all this week! Garsh… now I'm going to concentrate on this. Errr… not unless there's parties and such. *grins* Oh well.

I hate Flo in Amazing race!!!! What a B*tch!!!! (just wanted to get that out of my system)

Hrrmmm. Well. Here it is then! Enjoy guyz! ^_^

Disclaimer: Bah. Screw it.

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

A week passed and it was relatively peaceful. No freaky attacks or shouts of "hey, you're human! I'll eat you for supper! Ngarrr!" crap. Kaoru, Misao and Fuuma usually pass their time in the kitchen, warming themselves in the hearth. It's actually the comfiest place in the castle, vampires not being able to feel anything but cold and all that, so there aren't many fireplaces around. Misao sighed as she twirled her loose hair around her finger. Her head was on her palm, elbows on top of the huge, black table. _This is totally booooring. Sure there's always the danger of us being found out – though I don't know, for the life of me, on how they haven't figured it out yet. _She sighed, yet again, as she thought of Soujiro. _He's not at all bad. Just… creepy, in a vampire- like sort of way. Duh. _She stopped moping and looked around the food chamber. 

It has a cheery glow in it, a homey feeling. Tae was bustling around, preparing for a meal. Yahiko was running around as usual, doing chores and grumbling at the same time. Battousai was outside, doing laundry for God-knows-why. She shook her head, wondering at the craziness of circumstances. She groaned and flopped her head on the table, her usual cheeriness gone. _I won't think about it. I won't think about him. _ Forbidden thoughts were running around her head, the puking, the white flash. The kiss.

She groaned, not being able to avoid it any longer. _Okay. So he's a great kisser. So what? Aaarrggh. _She moaned. _Drat it. It's the best kiss I've ever experienced! And I might never experience it again! _

As Misao bemoaned her fate with Aoshi, Kaoru trudged in, in a kimono robe, looking disheveled and weary. "Coffee…"

She staggered her way to the table, flopping at the exact same way as Misao did a few minutes ago. "Cof-fee…" 

"Now, now, what's gotten into you two? You look like you both didn't sleep at all! Having a secret rendezvous that I should know about?" Tae's eyes glittered as she put a cup of steaming hot coffee in front of Kaoru. 

"Urrrmm… had a terrible nightmare. Period." Kaoru sniffed the aromatic scent and drank gratefully, the caffeine seeping into her tired bones and spicing her up. "Ahhh.. that's more like it."

*grumble grumble, groan groan*

"What's wrong with her?" Tae nodded her head towards Misao. 

"I don't know. Come to think of it, she's been like that the whole week. Weird." Kaoru looked at Misao with concern clearly written on her blue eyes. "Hey," she nudged the grumbling girl, "you okay?" 

"Urrmm… yeah. No!"

"Right… want to tell me about it?"

"Well, you see, Aoshi –"

"Misao- sensei! King-sama wants to se you!" Fuuma bounced inside the chamber, a smile wreathed his face, feeling all-high-and-mighty for being sent for such an important task from the king. 

"Oh, so he's king-sama now eh?" Misao felt the old spark coming back to her at the sound of the boy's cheery interlude. _He's such a sweet kid. Good thing the other vamps out there took a liking to him. _"All right, I guess I'm decent enough! Show the way, squire!"

"Hai!" Fuuma doesn't know what 'squire' means but it sounds real cool. "This way Misao- sensei!"

She followed the eager child to the throne room, intrigued at what the king might want to tell her. _I haven't seen him since the ball. I wonder… _she started remembering something, something that she feels is of great importance. It was at the tip of her tongue. Then it was gone, like the passing of the wind. She blinked, then shrugged, catching up with the beckoning child. 

* * *

"Sano! Nice to see you back again!"

Sano turned towards the origin of the voice. He saw a beautiful brown haired girl with green eyes, looking at him with affection. "Sayo."

Megumi turned and stared at the stunning woman walking towards them. She looked very prim and proper, not at all Sano's type. She narrowed her eyes. _Who's she? _Her gaze went back and forth from Sano to Sayo, the former having an amused glint in his brown eyes. Her own cinnamon brown narrowed.

"Hi! I'm Sayo. You must be…?"

Megumi flashed her most friendly smile – if you could call that friendly. "Megumi. Takane Megumi."

"Nice to meet you!" They shook hands. Sayo then turned to Sano. "How are you doing these days, Sano?" 

The vampire scratched the back of his head, feeling sheepish. "I'm fine, going here and there. Sayo, this is Megumi. She's my… friend."

Startled, Megumi glanced surprisingly at Sano. _Friend? _

Sayo looked pityingly at the stunned woman. "I've known Sano all my life. Don't worry about him. He's always like that."

__

The gall of that woman! "Well, yeah. He is a jerk sometimes. Okay, most of the time."

"Hey!"

"Well, I'm just stating the fact, rooster head!"

"Fine. I'm a handsome jerk."

"Why of all the – "

Sayo shook her head in wonder. _I'm so happy for you, Sano. At least now, you're able to find you're match. _Her green eyes flashed at him.

Sano glanced at her momentarily and slightly nodded at her in gratitude. Megumi, not seeing the interaction between the two, kept on poking and aggravating him. "You no-good-son-of-a – "

"Hey, now, let's not go there. C'mon sweetheart, let's go to town. See ya, Sayo." 

Sayo bowed and went on her way, moving down the hallway, poise and grace emanating from her. The couple turned the other way, Sano's arm going around the tall woman. Megumi was unusually quiet.

"Anything wrong?"

Megumi was silent for a time, then she spoke softly, "What is she to you, Sano?"

"Sayo? Oh, well. She was an old flame."

Megumi turned her head away, her eyes lingering outside the windows to the rose garden. "Did you love her?"

"Yes. And I still do."

The woman beside him bowed her head, her heart twisting, hurt and fear overcoming her. She can't believe it. And he's here, dallying around with her. Her hands balled into fists, Anger rising up inside. _It's not going to happen again._ She looked straight into his soft brown eyes, ready to strike him for his stupidity, for him being a user, when she saw something unexpected that scared her out of her wits… love. 

Startled, everything was just washed away. 

Sano paused, and cupped her chin in his huge hand. "It didn't work out. We were complete opposites. She was too nice and fragile, I was too rowdy and violent. Still, we do love each other… as a brother love his sister. It is different on the way I feel about you." He paused and his eyes darkened, almost black with the rising emotion he hid for so long. He had never used it, never felt it appropriate to give it away to just anyone. After all these years, he's not going to let it bury deep inside. He's going to say it now, before he chickens out. "Megumi I… I love you."

Those three words. The three words that she had waited to hear for so long… from a different man. Fear and confusion rose inside her, the fear of giving away what she had gained again after a long time. Her eyes widened and she shifted her gaze, wrenching her chin out of his grip. "I- I can't. Not yet… I- I'm sorry…" She ran away.

Tears blinded her vision, sobs of anguish threatening to escape from her trembling lips. She did not hear the cries that called her name, the distressed calls behind her. She ran, stumbling on one hallway, ducking under the next doorway. _How did I end up in this situation? _She finally reached outside, the fresh air and the soft light cooling her. She found a bench to sit on and sagged into it, her hands coming up to her face and elbows propped on her lap. _I shouldn't have agreed to it, I shouldn't have done this. I knew this was going to happen…_

She gave out a wavering sigh and thought of what happened before she went here. She found out about Sano being a vampire by "accidentally" seeing him with another girl. She was raging mad and spat out all of the possible insults she could think of that time. She had realized that there was blood around and she suddenly got worried about him. He was standing there all the time, not knowing what to do with the odd situation. She had cleaned the area around his mouth, tsk tsking all the while… and finally saw his razor sharp teeth. She had stood stunned, amazed and afraid at the same time. Then she had looked at the girl… and screamed. 

Megumi ran her hands across her face, remembering. It was the most fantastic and scary thing she'd ever saw. The girl looked peaceful, as in a deep slumber, but a thin trail of blood ran down from the two puncture holes in her neck. She looked at Sano, and he was… gorgeous. She hadn't realized it earlier, but his features were defined and his eyes –oh his eyes- were a dangerous silver brown, a hint of red around it. His teeth were delicate, his mouth red. All in all, with Sano holding the pretty girl in an awkward position, it looked like a scene from the best horror picture ever. It looked dangerous and exhilarating at the same time. The death, the blood, the power. 

__

Hmph. Maybe that's why I chose being one of them instead of death. It did seemed like the better option. Now, I don't really know. She sighed. She doesn't want to remember… the love she gave, then the hurt and pain of rejection. She didn't want to love again. That's why she was always the one playing with the frail hearts of men. Until she met Sano. So different. A good challenge. And she was wrong. 

Suddenly, something was shoved into her pale hands. A steaming cup of tea. Or something that seemed and smelled like it. 

"Here. I thought you might need it."

She sipped cautiously, not caring if this killed her or made her into a lunatic vampire. She found it good. She sipped more of the mysterious tea and her tensions eased, her mind cleared. She closed her eyes and some sort of a hazy light was all around her. She felt relaxed. She opened her eyes and turned to the one who offered the drink. "Thank you…" She paused and continued. "Sayo."

The elegant woman gave her a small smile. "He told you, didn't he?" Sano sighed and sat down beside the melancholy woman. "He was always like that, blunt, yet sweet at the same time. It was such a pity, I was too weak and frail, even as a vampire."

Megumi turned a questioning gaze towards her.

Sayo laughed again and then sobered. "Yes, he was the one who made me into a vampire. We thought we loved each other. But we were not meant to be. I had found another, but he kept on dallying with different women, vampires and humans." She faced Megumi, her green eyes pleading. "Give him a chance. He needs someone strong whom he can depend on. Yes, you were hurt in the past, but he was hurt more. He loves you. It's the first time he felt it. It's very hard for him to admit and even recognize it at first. I don't believe you want him to feel the same hurt and rejection that you felt."

"How did you know- ?"

The green gaze penetrated her mind. "I know because you were literally showing it to whomever pleases to see it. Your eyes are the windows to your soul. You must learn that. Now, it's full of hurt that comes from somewhere in the past. It aches, yes, but there's a remedy. Love."

Megumi nodded, making a final decision. She will take this chance. No matter how dangerous the predicament is, she will not be scared anymore and hide in a mask full of deceit- not only for others but also for herself. She will be true at last. "Yes. I see your point. Though I healed others as a doctor, I cannot heal myself." She looked at Sayo's eyes, full of gratitude. "Thank you so much. I- I must go."

Sayo smiled and shooed her away. "Go. He needs you." 

She watched as the dark- haired beauty ran inside to look for Sano, pure joy and happiness written all over her face. She smiled sadly. _I still love you, Sano. I hope you'll be happy with Megumi. _She went on her way, going inside the palace. 

* * *

Misao entered the throne room, the awe in her face clearly expressed. _The elegance of this hall never ceases to amaze me. NIICCCEEE!!! _

Medieval art and tapestries adorn the room, colors of red, black and green predominant in the array of colors. Stone carvings and stained glass windows are on the walls, the play of light shifting every once in a while. _Sugoi! Now THIS is a castle! Wahahaha! _

"Come on, Misao- sensei! Let's go to king-sama!"

"A… ha-hai!" Misao stumbled at the boy pulled the older woman towards the middle of the room. The light from the rose stained glass on the roof beamed on the throne itself. It was magnificent; it looked like an illusion. It looks different from how it looks like at night, candles all around, hardly being able to see the grandeur of the place. Now that it's illuminated, it's one of the most beautiful places she'd ever seen. The man sitting in the throne is as magnificent as the room. Beautiful… and dangerous. 

"King-sama! Misao- sensei's here!" Fuuma happily chirped, bowing clumsily in front of the amused king. 

"Thank you, Fuuma. You may now continue with playing in the other chamber." 

"Hai!" Fuuma grinned at the king, bowed clumsily again, almost falling over, and went hopping out the chamber.

"Misao."

"Your highness." Misao did a small curtsy and faced the king. "What did you call me for?"

A chuckle was heard. "Frank, as I expected." The deep voice turned serious as it relayed the situation. "Do you remember the … incident last ball?"

"Well, vaguely, your highness." 

"You may stop the 'your highness' crap. It's giving me a headache." He rubbed his temples. 

Surprised and somewhat amused, Misao replied, "Well… err… king-sama," _that sounds weird. _"So…"

The king grinned. "I'm not exactly the stiff king you might have envisioned. Not like that stubborn son of mine," he mumbled. "I think he got that from his mother. She was always silent, I don't know what I saw in her." He sighed. "She's gone now. Some vampire- hunter killed her in thinking that he might destroy me through her. I just got angry and slaughtered him."

__

Errr… right. Misao thought as she observed the new side of the king. He looked young, as she first observed him in the ball. But there's a certain flicker of old wisdom mixed with mischief and light in his red eyes that she hasn't seen before. _Well… weird I never knew kings are allowed to act like that. _

The king laughed. "Well, we are allowed, once in a while. Still, in front of most of my subjects, I have to be the epitome of power and grandness. I'm getting sick of it. I feel like I'm schizophrenic." He massaged his temples yet again. "Good thing I won't last that long anymore in this earth. But I won't give up without a fight." He mumbled and grinned, a dangerous glint in his eyes. 

Misao reddened as she realized that he read her thoughts. _Why is everybody reading my thoughts? Arggh. This is exasperating. _Then she thought about what she heard. _He's going to die? _

"Ano… what do you mean, king-sama? Are you going to vanish from the earth or something?"

The figure in the throne chuckled. "Well, I'm old. About one-thousand-five-hundred years old. I don't think I'm going to last any longer. I'm sick of all this. Yes, it's been fun with all the power and the glory, but I'm already tired. Besides, someone more powerful and more evil's out to destroy me."

"Wha- what?!" Misao exclaimed as she stared at the blood- red orbs in awe and astonishment. _Someone's out to kill him? And he's OKAY about it? _

"I've accepted it. It is my fate, and no one can change it." His whole being back to serious mode, he stared directly at her deep blue eyes. "Yet, there is something that I cannot determine. It seems that the fate of this kingdom is in your hands, Misao."

__

What? "Me? What did I do?"

"It's not what you have done, it's what you are. You are an orphan, right?" 

Misao nodded, not wondering anymore on how he got his facts. Just one look at his eyes and she feels something intense looking within her. Seeking for the answers she didn't even know. "Yes. I was… abandoned as a baby in an alley. I lived as a street child for about six years. Luckily, a man adopted me and he taught me well." She unconsciously felt for her amber pendant. "I changed and I swore not to return to what I was when I was a kid."

"Yes," The king contemplated on what he had just heard. "I see all the hardships you endured. The sorrow, the hurt; for you not being able to belong anywhere. However, I do know where you came from."

Completely taken by surprise, Misao's jaw dropped. _He… how could… ?! What does it mean? _"What do you mean?"

"What I meant was… you are a special child. Neither human, nor vampire. You were born in a magnificent country, long destroyed by now. You are one of the evolved ones. The Ch'nage. The changed ones."

Misao had to sit down on the floor. She couldn't take this in, not just yet. Sure, the discovery that vampires exist shocked her, but this really takes it all. Her numbed mind cannot process this piece of information. However crucial. 

"Your human part was dominant, so you acted and sounded like a human. Yet you have this great power, even greater than I have, inside you. It is not yet tapped. It must not be tapped into, until the time comes. Your parents… are my sister and brother-in-law. A powerful force, the same force that destroyed the whole nation, killed them. This kingdom is the farthest part of the kingdom. It is the only one that survived. It barely survived. It took thousands of years to shape it into what it is now." The king stopped his narration, pausing for a breath. "I was the one who brought you on earth, I had no choice but to leave you there. You were in danger. Now, fate has brought you here. Fate has brought you to my son."

"To your son?" _Oh no… this thing is really coming now… I have a sick feeling in my gut that…_

"Yes, my son, Aoshi." 

Misao was petrified. _Damn, drat, and dang it to hell. He's the goddamned prince of the underworld. _"Ohh—kay, I'll just have to think of this a bit." _I'm a grown woman, I will not puke, faint, or die in front of the king. _

"You did not know?"

"Well… I- he failed to mentioned that small insignificant information to me." _Yeah. Right. He haven't said anything to you. _

"Well, it isn't really important. He's just the heir to the throne and the usual stuff that is expected of the prince."

__

Just the heir to the throne? JUST the HEIR to the throne? "Yeah, no big deal." Misao shrugged.

The king nodded. "Well, I do believe that all these have come as a shock to you. Please take your time in thinking about it. The fate of our kingdom lies in you."

"Ha- hai. I will think about it." _Yeah, more like stare into a wall and think about bashing my head into it. _"Thank you for informing me. I will go now." Misao bowed, and exited the throne room. 

The king chuckled. She is strong, she will be able to handle this. He took out a sake cup, seemingly out of nowhere, and drank from it, settling his nerves. He is coming. He will not stop at anything this time. Red eyes narrowed, a fire burning in them. _I will not back down without a fight. _He drank, drank for life, for love, for fate. 

* * *

Aoshi silently closed the side door, the troubled expression that was on his face earlier wiped out by his usual stoic expression. _Now I know. _He continued his way down the hall, thinking. _Definitely no more playing around, Shinomori. _He snickered and made a decision. _I will dedicate myself in saving this kingdom, no matter what. _Misao's face swam into his head, her innocent look, her dark blue eyes. It was quickly gone. _No matter what. _

* * *

A/n: Waahh! Sorry it took so long! Started it yesterday… couldn't finish it because my sister wanted to use the computer again. FUDGE! Oh well… the perks of life. 

Well, sorry again if I disappointed the KxK fans. I was planning to put it here now but… looks like it'll be too long. *grins* Don't worry! I'll put 'em in the next chapter! *teeheehee…*

Thanks so much for the fantastic reviews!!! ^_^

(darn. My connection's really crazy now, so I won't be able to thank all of you personally now… gomen! At least it's faster, ne? ) Thanks, all the same! :P

Please, READ AND REVIEW! 


	16. Dreams and Truths

Author's notes: Nyahaha! Merry Christmas everyone! (though mine was quite boring, hope yours were better ^_^) Anyway… I think I've got some explaining to do. *sweatdrop* errrr… I wonder where I start…

Well, I think I made a mistake. I didn't realize that I made them cousins. *uh oh* How stupid, ne? nevertheless, I have an idea. I think I'll just have to do a bit of twisting. Ehehe. *evil grin* Well, just read on. ^_^

Anyway… uhhh… KxK up next! *yay!* (gomen, noa! The demand is high! *sigh*) Hope you enjoy! ^_^

Disclaimer: *on her knees and praying* Please Santa! Just this once, I want to own Rurouni Kenshin! *a voice from somewhere suddenly yells* "No!" *Tesuka- chan whimpers in a corner* Life is not fair. I still don't own it. And… some of L.J. Smith's ideas. Ehehehe… ^_^

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

Kaoru was bored witless. 

She doesn't have anything to do in this old, boring castle. In a matter of minutes, her hands will inch up her hair and will start wrenching viciously in frustration. Kaoru sighed as she walked around her bedroom for the umpteenth time. _What to do, what to do? I can't mingle with the other vampires, I can't ride a horse, and I certainly can't sit in one corner, twiddling my thumbs. _She looked down at the stone floor and saw a worn, pale trail going back and forth from the door to the bed. _I must do something! _Then her face lit up as an idea came to her. _The kitchen! _She lifted her skirts and walked hurriedly towards the other end of the castle.

__

Hmm… maybe I'll help out in the cooking. I'm not too bad… I pride myself in making green tea and… ummm…green tea! Have I thought of that already? She shrugged and her thoughts shifted to a certain red haired man, working as a laundry boy. _Kenshin is really weird. Why would he work as a laundry boy? Though he doesn't really look tired after a hard day's work. He looks pretty cute, actually. _She blushed as she remembered the time that she spied on him, his sleeves shoved up his arms, his muscles rippled in the sunlight as he scrubbed those dirty clothes in the soapy water. His hair, falling now and then on his face, was shoved away a couple of times. She remembered wishing she was the dirty laundry. 

__

Snap out of it! He's a demented, psycho slasher guy, out to kill the evil vampires roaming all over the earth! There's no way I could like him… even though his violet eyes twinkle in pleasure every time I see him, or his smile makes my insides melt… but that's not the point! He's a walking killing machine! She shook her head and walked on, angry with herself for thinking of such things. At last, she reached the kitchen. 

"Tae! Can I help out around here?"

Tae's spine became rigid as the girl entered the food chamber. She remembered the cooking disasters that happened earlier this week. The burnt bread, the bitter pastries… she didn't even know that water burns until Kaoru walked into her kitchen life. "A- ano, Kaoru- san… I'm already done with everything." _A little white lie wouldn't hurt especially if the fate of the whole castle depends upon it. _"Why don't you just make some… err… green tea and bring it to Kenshin? I'm sure he'll love it. He's been working all morning without a break." She held her breath praying with all her might. _Oh please… PLEASE let her go… _

"All right!" Kaoru cheerily exclaimed as she began preparing the tea. Loud clanking noises were heard as she looked for the pot. 

Tae let out a sigh of relief as went back to chopping the potatoes. _My kitchen and I are saved for today! _She whistled as a very smug and contented feeling washed over her. 

"Hey busu! Why are you here? Don't tell me you're helping out make burnt bread again!" A loud voice yelled as Yahiko came in with a broom in hand. "Everything will choke to death with the smoke you'll create! And the bread?! Phew… the first person who bites will have a taste of hell!" He began to make choking sounds and slid down the floor, eyes rolling, hands on his throat. With a last feigned breath, he dropped melodramatically on the floor, head lolled on one side. 

"I truly hope that's real, Yahiko, or I'll MAKE it real!" Kaoru yelled as she kicked the 'body' on the floor and strolled out the back door.

It was one of those days when the sun is shining, and the birds are singing. _Too bad Yahiko ruined it for me. _Kaoru grumbled. _Nevertheless, at least I'll be able to see Kenshin! _She walked, almost skipped, happily towards the laundry shed. "Kenshin! I'm here with tea!" 

Kenshin smiled as he saw Kaoru glance around and, upon finally seeing him, walk towards him with a beautiful smile on her face. _Be careful Himura, you're here on assignment and nothing should go wrong. Besides, she's too good for you. _"Hello, Kaoru- dono. Why, thank you very much for the tea." He stood up and wiped his soapy, glistening skin with a clean cloth. Too bad he didn't see Kaoru ogling him. 

Before Kenshin turns around, Kaoru composed herself and put down the tray. _Gosh… is it hot in here or what? _She blushed as she stared at Kenshin's back, the cloth stretching on his broad shoulders. She gulped and had to look away. "Tae said you've been working hard all day. Why don't you take a break?" 

"Sure. Kaoru- dono, are you okay? You're all red."

"It's just a bit warm in here, that's all."

"Let's go outside, shall we?"

__

He's so kind and polite! She gushed. _He's so different from the man I met the first time. _"Sure."

The two walked out the shed and sat on a bench situated outside within the shade. Kenshin poured the tea and then both sat for a while, enjoying the silence. It was peaceful, the breeze gently blowing over them, the grass and the leaves swaying with it. Kaoru inhaled and closed her eyes. _Nothing is more perfect than sitting here with the man you lo- like. Yeah, that's right. With the man one likes. _She opened her sky- blue eyes and looked at Kenshin… and caught him staring at her. She blushed yet again. She looked away and decided to ask him the question that's been bugging her for the previous weeks. 

"Kenshin, can I ask you a question?"

"Aa. Sure Kaoru- dono"

"Ano… I'm just wondering… what are you doing here? Why are you here, doing laundry, while there are lots of evil vampires out there roaming the earth? I mean, it's your job, isn't it?"

Kenshin wrinkled his brows thoughtfully as he remembered the time when he volunteered to go to Nifleheim to watch out for Kaoru and the others. _I was compelled to protect her… and the others of course. This was a very unusual agreement and it was also very delicate. Besides, I don't mind taking a break from the action once in a while. _"Well, Kaoru- dono, It was my mission to go here and watch out for all of you. It is very dangerous, living here among the vampires and one small mistake might mean war between the two races."

Kaoru's spirits dropped. _What, you were expecting another answer? _"How about the other case you're working on? The vagabond guy?"

The red- haired man paused. _Might as well let her know just in case there'd be any complications._ "Actually, we heard news that he's here. That's another part of my mission. To look for him and if we're lucky, to catch him and bring him to the T.H.O.R.N. authorities." 

"He's here?"

"Yes. So I advice you to be very careful, Kaoru- dono. Your life may be at stake. There are many who will miss you when you're gone." 

__

Including you? Kaoru shook her head at the sappy thought. _Why would he miss me? We haven't known each other for a long time. _"Well… not that much. My parents died when I was young and I lived with my only aunt for some time. She too died when I was seventeen and I had to work hard to keep an apartment and to have food on my table." Her eyes glazed as she remembered the things she'd been through, but she never gave up. "I was comfortable in my life, having Misao and Megumi… until I got stuck here in this curious situation." Her eyes twinkled as she continued. "But it's not so bad. I got to figure out many mysterious things about the world and I met many nice people." _Like you._

Violet eyes warmed over as he sympathized with the girl sitting beside him. _She's gone through many things already. She deserves to have a good life. _"Well, hard work and determination pays off. And there are other mysteries in the world that hasn't been solved yet. Someday, man will figure things out… and maybe he'll understand the world better and not create wars or cause deaths any longer."

Silence ensued, each thinking of thoughts that run deep into their minds and hearts. By this time, the tea's all gone and the atmosphere's getting a bit cooler. 

The raven- haired girl nervously played with her fingers, thinking if she should tell him what she realized just now. It was kind of silly, but sincere all the same. _I should tell him. I WILL tell him. _She cleared her throat, for it had suddenly dried up for some inexplicable reason, and built up the courage. _All right! I'm ready! _"Kenshin…"

"Hai, Kaoru- dono?"

"Kenshin, I –I think I – "

"There you are, my dear! I've been looking all over for you! Good thing the servant in the kitchen told me you're out here. Would you like to go riding to town with me?" Turquoise eyes showed no emotion as the tall man ran his long fingers to his white hair. 

A bit ruffled, Kaoru replied, "Well, I really can't ride a horse." It came out a bit sharp, but she didn't care. She was about to say something important and here comes mister ho-I'm-a-handsome-vampire-and-I-can-interfere-if-I-want-to to ruin things. _Argh. _

"That's too bad… but there's always the coach." He smiled, the corner of his lips jerked up and revealed a gorgeous half- smile. "Please? There's much to see in town and it's an opportunity one can't miss." Something flickered in his turquoise eyes, which was quickly gone. Kenshin noticed it though, and narrowed his eyes. 

"Well… If you put it that way…" Kaoru had been dying to see the town but she didn't know how to get there. Besides, the moment with Kenshin was already ruined and she can tell him another time. "Oh, okay. I'll go." Kaoru smiled her usual cheery smile. She stood up, and faced Kenshin. "Thank you for a really nice time. Maybe I'll come back and visit tomorrow." 

Though Kenshin was deeply troubled and suspicious of Enishi, he couldn't do anything about it. "Thank you for the tea, Kaoru- dono. I also enjoyed our talk. Please," He stared straight at her dark blue eyes, "be careful." 

Kaoru felt a tingle down her spine. He was worried about her, even though it's just an afternoon out to town. _It's so sweet of him. _"Don't worry, I believe I'll be safe." She looked at Enishi and smiled politely. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Take your time, please."

Kaoru walked away from the shed, thinking about the things she might see and the wonderful afternoon ahead. She hummed a lively tune as she entered the castle. 

Cold, almost transparent eyes turned towards the man sitting on the bench. "You do not stand a chance. You're just a servant and she is too good for you." A crazed look came over his face. "She's mine. No one will take her from me."

Kenshin's eyes narrowed, and a hint of yellow flashed in his purple eyes. "Do not worry, your grace," He stood up and bowed, "I am just a lowly laundry boy after all." 

"Good. You know your place in this world. You may go back to your work." The tall man strode away, taking long, deliberate steps towards the barn. 

For a moment there, Purple became completely yellow. _No one owns Kaoru. Except the one who wins her heart. Except me. _Dark yellow returned to a light shade of violet. 

* * *

Misao sighed as she moped around her room for the umpteenth time. _I still can't believe it. This is really… weird. What the hell is a Ch'nage, anyway? The changed ones.. bah! More like the weird ones. _She flopped on the bed, facing the ceiling. _Somehow, I can't take it all in. I just can't. _She shuddered as a thought came to her. _If I'm the king's niece, and Aoshi's the King's son, that would make us cousins! NOOOO!!! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING TO ME!!!! _

This time, the overwhelming situation finally seeping into her being and her body reacted violently. Good thing there was a garbage can waiting on the side of the bed. She heaved up everything she just ate earlier, her face having a green sheen, her blue eyes wide and watery. _No no no! I can't do this… this is really too much. _Her eyes suddenly felt heavy and her body was exhausted. _I'm too tired.. I'll just sleep it off. And maybe… _She clutched something in her hand. _Maybe… _Her eyes flickered closed and she was fast asleep. 

***

__

Wide blue eyes search frantically for a small hole, a cave… any place to hide the small bundle in her arms. Her feet stumbled, but she only sprang up again, not giving up. They're coming. Oh Kami- sama… please save this baby. _Finally, she reached a low wall and she climbed over it, her beautiful face showing relief and a hint of hope. A well-kept garden was there, it looked peaceful and serene- the complete opposite of the raging mob on the other side of the wall. _

"Hey, where's that freak?"

"I think she went that way!"

"Come on! No decent person would think twice about killing her… after giving birth to that ominous baby. Let's go! She might bring harm to our village!"

Shouts of affirmation were heard and the mob passed by the garden. The willowy woman curled up, cuddling the bundle in her arms, the beautiful baby smiling at her, not knowing a thing about the things happening around her. I'm sorry, my baby. Maybe sometime, we'll meet again. _She kissed her tenderly and left her on a little hole under a bush. Her hands went over the baby, tiny glittering amber sparks flowing out of her fingers, to the baby's small frame, an amber pendant on a gold chain forming around her delicate neck. _That should keep your powers… until you truly need it. _Tears fell down the perfect oval shaped face of the mother, as she touched her daughter's face gently with one finger. _I will never forget you. I love you always, my daughter… just as I have loved your father. _One last, tender kiss, and she was gone. _

Minutes later, a queen, splendid yet sorrowful, came out to the garden. I have lost her. Our baby girl… oh why does this have to happen to me? _Crystal tears flowed down her face as she remembered her miscarriage. _We were so happy… so happy. Now, I am worthless. I can never have another baby. _She wept, her whole body trembling, mourning for the lost child. _

A small cry, hungry, and melancholy. The queen looked up, and after a little searching, saw the child under the bush. Oh, she is so beautiful. We have the same eyes… and the king's jet- black hair. She is perfect! _She cooed the baby until she fell asleep on her arms. _I shall adopt her… from now on, she is my daughter. From now on, she is the princess… Misao. 

***

__

"No! Please… He will get angry! My husband will seek revenge if you do this… he will destroy the kingdom!"

"Who believes you, freak?" an angry voice spat out.

"Yeah! You're not one of us! You gave birth to that child… where is it? Tell us and we'll spare you!" Another yelled.

"No… I will never tell you!"

"Then you will burn to death!"

Angry cries were heard as their craving for bloodshed and punishment is satiated. She is too weak, too weak from the spell she had cast and they had caught her and bound her to a stake. The flames licked on her flesh, but she did not feel anything. Her mind is numb, as well as her body. I love you, my daughter and husband. I love you. _She dies. _

Screams of approval and victory. Dancing and laughing. "The freak is dead!" Shouted one. "We are safe!" Shouted another. They have yet to know the cost of their prejudice.

And all hell broke loose.

***

Blood, suffering, heat. Some unknown force had hit Nifleheim, a force that will never be felt again for many years to come. The queen and the king had fled, but it had affected them. The carriage was broken into splinters, carcasses and body parts scattered all over the country road. Blood had flooded the fields, and grains were contaminated through this. Everyone's either dead or sick. It seems that no one will come out alive. 

A lone rider had ridden to survey the extent of the disaster. His face full of sorrow, his red eyes full of anger and barely controlled hatred as he jumped down his horse and saw the dead bodies of his beloved sister and brother-in-law. He wept… the first time in his entire life. He wept for his family, his kingdom, his people. 

Suddenly, a tiny voice cried out from under the rubble. He furiously dug and found out that miraculously, a baby survived… a blue- eyed, black- haired baby girl. He had known that his sister was having a baby, but he was gone a long time attending some business on the far end of Nifleheim. Now, the only one left is this baby and he swore to protect it, no matter what. Even if it means sending her to earth. 

He reached to the baby's mind, prodding, searching. He was suddenly flung back to his own, her mind rejecting him. Startled, he looked at the baby's eyes… and he was lost in it… the dark blue depths, the power it held. It was suddenly hidden and gone. He shook his head. "It can't be… the prophecies, the legends… a Ch'nage." 

The moon was red, as well as the sky- reflecting the blood that flooded the land. The rider silently traveled. He has a long way to go. 

***

A scream.

Misao woke up, sweating and pulse rate running fast. She had heard the scream, anguished and lost. Then she realized that it was her own. She had scream… because of her dream? _Was it only a dream? What am I? Who am I? _She folded her knees and put her arms around it, her head coming down to rest on her arms. She wept. She had felt the loss, the pain, and the suffering. Now she knows the truth. And the truth hurts. _It hurts so…_

Her door suddenly banged open, and Aoshi silently stood at the doorway with his usual stoic face. Underneath, however, he was truly worried. He had heard the scream and thoughts of every kind were running through his head. Despite his promise, he couldn't help but want to protect Misao. He walked cautiously towards her. 

"I don't know anything anymore. I don't know what's the truth." Misao said, her voice giving away no emotion, for once. Her sobs had stopped and her mind a blank crevice. She felt cold all over, no warmth can penetrate through her. "I wonder if I can go through life… with this." She looked up at him. 

Aoshi breathed in sharply. He was lost… lost in that deep blue… and he could see… power. Power and… a deep sorrow. He longed to comfort her to protect her… but the kingdom comes first. Above all. And so, he stared back with his own green eyes, cold and unfeeling.

"You can go through with this. You're a strong woman." He sat down at the edge of the bed, facing the door. 

"Yes. Everybody says that." Misao mused, her voice whispery and faint. "But I do wonder if I am really what they say. I wonder if I have the courage to… the courage to face my past. I don't believe I could." She said in a monotonous tone. 

Angry with her for being like this, he stood up and faced her, sitting on the bed, staring blankly at the wall. He approached her hopeless form. "Now where is the Misao I know? Where is that spirit, that optimistic view of life?"

"She's dead. Along with the lies that she is all this time. What you see is the real me. Deal with it."

He cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. "No. Snap out of it. Misao is the girl that she is. She is not a lie… she is the girl who had made something of herself, the girl who had not given up. And she will not give up." He moved towards her. "She is still there. I can see it." He leaned forward and kissed her. 

He couldn't help it. She looked so hopeless, so down. And she had looked so beautiful. _The hell with everything else… _He kissed her more – and felt a slap on his cheek.

Blue eyes blazed and an angry spark was on her eyes. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She looked flushed and really livid. _How dare he? I was having problems, for crying out loud! And he made a pass at me? Men are such idiots! _

A ghost of a smile was on Aoshi's lips. He felt his jaw if it wasn't dislocated. "Well, I guess it worked." 

"What?"

"You're at least back to normal."

He received an angry glare. "What do you mean? I was normal… well, sort of. I guess I'm not normal anymore, now I know I'm some weird creature or whatever." 

Aoshi shook his head and his eyes twinkled. "You'll be able to cope." He walked towards the door. 

Misao was at fed up of it all. "AOSHI SHINOMORI! Explain yourself!!!!" All she got was a thud from the closing of the door. 

Still steaming, she went to the bathroom to take a bath. _Damn him… he's so vague! I don't get him AT ALL! _She then remembered what she was contemplating on doing. She looked at a small knife, hidden on the pocket of her clothes. It glinted malevolently in the candlelight. _No. I'll cope with this. _She put down the knife. Then it suddenly struck her. _Aoshi kissed me to make me realize that what I'm about to do is not worth it. I've got so much to live for… Ch'nage or not. _She smiled tenderly. _Thank you, Aoshi. _

* * *

Flashes of silver slashed from one side to another. Terrified eyes. Mouths opened, ready to scream, but it was too late. Crazed emerald green eyes glinted; he laughed and reveled in the power he had in him. _Yes, you weaklings. Die. Die and fulfill my purpose. _He crouched, hand poised on his side to his sword. Everything is still in the night air. A gentle breeze whipped around him. 

He stood up, his beautiful sculpted face, so much like a Roman god, showing no emotions… except the mirth and pleasure that is seen in his eyes. His dark hair covered them, and the stranger walked away from the alley, leaving a road full of carcasses and dead bodies of the creatures of Nifleheim behind him. 

__

This should start it. This will make them realize I'm here… powerful and cannot be beaten. It has begun.

All hell will break loose. 

* * *

A/n: Yay! Another chapter done! Nyehehe… I hope this explained a lot of things. It's either that or I've just confused you more! *sweatdrop* Ahehehe… I really can't help it. ^_^

I think the next chapter will be action- packed and so there will be fewer humors. It'll get more angsty. Drat. Don't worry, I'll add a bit of surprises now and then. ^_^

I REALLY really want to thank all the reviewers! I'm sooo happy!! This is such a nice Christmas present! Wahahaha!!! *runs around with glee* So.. to the following reviewers:

DarkFairy: Well, here it is! Ehehe… the next chapter will be… better. Hopefully. :P

Chibi-ken14: Ehehe… they're both in denial. *nyahaha!!!* Well… but they couldn't help themselves, can't they? *grin grin*

Tanuki: whoa! I can't believe that you'd go to the library just to read and review! *sobs pathetically* I'm so touched! ^_^

Kats: *sigh* I can't seem to satisfy your demands… so sorry. I guess it just goes the way it goes! Gomen! 

Noa: Well, I thought about your suggestion before… and I think that it suits fine! Hehe… Thanks so much! You've been a big help! :P

A. Pikachu: Well, I made Ch'nage up. (ain't it cool? Haha!) I sort of mixed up the letters to suit my interests. ^_^

Rouge: Wehehe… glad you liked chapter 14! I was really inspired at that time. Hehe.

ZenryokuZ: Hehehe.. we all hate him for doing that, ne? It's just the type of thing that he'll do.. ruin things. bah. 

Innocent dreamer: Here's Kenshin at last! Although… well.. I'll let you judge it! ^_^

Nashime- chan: I'm really glad you liked it! I love the couple too… they're really cute together… complete opposites! Ahahaha!!! And don't worry, I'll finish this! I'm more than halfway done! *hooray!*

Zackire: Sorry… I can't help being mean! *bawls guiltily* We're all mean… but I'm glad you liked it! Thanks! ^_^

The *Spangled* Pandemonium: It's long? It's long!? You FOUND it long?! ALRIGHT!!! *runs around the room like a lunatic* that's a first! Everyone kept saying it was short… yay! I've been trying my best! :P

Luli451: Urmm.. I'm still juggling all three stories… glad you liked it though! Ja! :P

Soul: Well… let's just say she's… observant and… well… perceives well? Haha! That's the way I think sometimes (weird huh?) so I guess I incorporated it here! Don't worry, I think it suits her fine! ^_^

Selph: Heh… thanks for pointing that out. I just write… and don't really realize what I'm writing. At least I sort of straightened it out right away. Hehe.

Lil_witch: Ahhh.. hope it was clearer this time! ^_^

Mayuka625: thanks! Read and review more soon! (too!)

Shadow: I know you! Boleng! DON'T READ THIS!!! Bah.. everyone's reading it… *sob sob* Well, I'm weird. I don't want my friends to read this 'coz I'm insecure. Ha. right. Thanks all the sam! :P

Crazy lassie from the hills: whoa! L.J. Smith fan! ALL RIGHT!! *shakes hand* Well, I read almost all of it except book 10… couldn't find a copy. Darn. And I don't really realize that I connect it to her books except when I review it again and see the connections. I'm weird. Oh. Flo sure stinks. I bet she'll waste her part of the money for drinking and get publicity and stuff. *smirk*

Hitokiri Chibi Chan: Glad you found it interesting and funny! Just the words I'm looking for… hehe… thanks! 

Kate: Ahhhh! My fic's nothing compared to yours! *goes down on knees and bows to almighty kate* Let me read 'em!! Hehehe… LOTR was great! I was feeling all smug, knowing that I'm the only one who watched it in my family. Hahaha! It was fun! Thanks for going too! ^_^ Well, Happy new year too! ^_^

Nekonomiko: Sorry, not much romance. (no the way you think) ahaha! I'll try… I have a super great idea for the chapter after next. It will be like the climax! And major romace stuff! Wahaha! ^_^

*phew* I'm tired… gosh… I'm really happy! There's so much of you! *goes teary eyed* waaahh!! I love you guyz!

Well, hope you read and review! Ja! ^_^


	17. The Uprising

Auhtor's notes: HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!! *boom, boom, kaboom!!!* Ahhh! My hand, my hand! It's sliced into two because of a 'triangle' firecracker! Ahhh! Bloody hell… I can't type anymore!!! *stares at her gruesome hand, with blood dripping down to her elbows and bits of skin barely hanging from it* (eew. Gross. Just kidding of course.)

OOC-ness is nice, isn't it? I think it quite odd too that Misao reacted that way. (huh?! Baka writer! *bonks self*) we-ll, let's just say that she was wallowing in, uh, something and she was surprised. That's all. Ehehe. *tomatoes and potatoes flying towards author* GAH! 

Hmmm… here's my next chapter! *yay! Whoo!* Well, I guess this time I didn't waste a week before writing this, ne? good thing. Well, enjoy the upcoming grosser-than-Tesuka's-bloody-hand-image chapter. This is gonna be bad. WEHEHE. *evil grin* Enjoy!

Disclaimer: *holds up a firecracker (belt of Judas) and gives it to disclaimer boy* KABOOM! *disclaimer boy smiles eerily, not hurt whatsoever.* creepy. Fine, fine. I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. *sighs* 

(hmmm. I really should stop with the disclaimer dramas. Nobody reads it anyway. *shrugs*)

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

"Are you all going to let them take advantage of us, while they're sitting at the lap of luxury?"

"No!"

A lynch mob had gathered around the town square, listening and agreeing to the vigorous speaker that was standing on top of a square stone. They were getting fired up, angry with the monarchs and the nobles who were doing nothing for them, save that of collecting taxes and making their lives harder. And now, the mysterious massacre at one of the worst reputed alley in town. It was too much, and more were fed to their anger by this young man with ideals, this young man with pale hair and emerald green eyes. 

"We have suffered long and hard, we have provided for them, made them to what they are now… and what do we get? Nothing! Not even protection from this mysterious killer roaming around these very streets, putting our women and children in danger!"

"Something must be done!" A voice shouted from the crowd.

"Yeah! We cannot let this corruption go on!" another piped in.

Before long, all of them are shouting their views, their indignation and anger. The young man smiled. This is going as planned. "My friends, we must then act now… we must overthrow the king and rule for ourselves! Make a change for our better future!"

Cheers of affirmation echoed around the town as men, women, children, and creatures of all kinds scatter to get their weapons. To ready themselves for war. The young man smiled and raised his eyes towards the red sky. Bloodshed will come. Soon.

He vanished into the shadows. 

* * *

"Ohohoho! What are you doing here in the stables, Tanuki?" Megumi cheerily asked as she sauntered towards Kaoru with Sano grinning like the devil beside her.

"Well you look mighty pleased today," Kaoru muttered and shook her head at the nickname. "Well, I'm going to town with Enishi. He invited me to go sightseeing with him."

"Enishi, eh?" Sano asked and narrowed his eyes. _He's up to something. He's never really been decent all these years. _"It just so happens that the fox and I are going to town as well. Would you mind if the four of us go together, Jou-chan?"

Kaoru sighed… from relief or apprehension, she does not know. "Sure. It might be a lot more fun with both of you, anyway." She smiled… and remembered what Sano just called her. "Jou- chan?" A vein twitched.

Sano backed up, almost hiding behind the 'Ohoho- ing' Megumi. "Ahhh… it just came out naturally, Jo – I mean, Kaoru. It's not really offensive." He raised his arms in defense. 

__

Why, that good-for-nothing – 

"So, Kaoru. Ready to go?" Turquoise eyes flashed behind glasses. Enishi was wearing his riding clothes, all slick and handsome. He turned his emotionless gaze from the slightly flustered Kaoru to The couple beside her. "Sano." He nodded towards the tall vampire.

"Enishi." Sano returned the greeting. "Megumi and I were planning to go to town as well. Kaoru agreed to go with us for the both of you." 

"Well, ano… I just thought it would be more fun. Besides, the more the merrier." Kaoru nervously blurted out as she thought she saw a glint in Enishi's eyes. 

The pale- haired vampire charmingly smiled at Kaoru and held out his hand to her. "Anything you wish, my lady." The woman blushed. "I've decided I'd take my own steed whilst you ride with Sano and Megumi." He cocked his head to the side, as if in question.

"Su- sure. No problem." Kaoru gave him a small smile. _Though he's devilishly handsome, something in him makes me shudder._

"Yosh!" Sano exclaimed. I'll drive the open coach while you women sit back and enjoy the ride." He winked as he looked at both women. "You see how great I am at driving."

"Ohohoho!!! Good thing I'm here, or who would heal your wounds when the coach turned over? Ohohoho!" Megumi lightly held her hand over her mouth.

"Fox!"

"Ohoho!" 

Kaoru shook her head and smiled at the two, wishing at the depths of her soul that she was riding with a certain red-haired man. 

* * *

After a slightly rough ride out to the palace and into a short path along the woods, a horse and a coach emerged to a seemingly deserted town. All is quiet and the red glow of the setting sun made it seem more eerie and depressing. A slight breeze blew across them making Kaoru shiver.

__

Gosh… I thought that this town's supposed to be really alive or something. looks to me like it's empty. She shuddered as she surveyed the town square. _This is really suspicious. _

"Hmmm… did they prepare a grand welcome for me? Ohoho!" Megumi made an attempt to break the heavy silence, but inside she's somewhat afraid. _What's going on around here? _

"I don't get it. Where's everyone?" Sano scratched his head, trying to figure things out. _Weird… did they have a feast in the forest or something? There must be lots of food out there then. _His face changed from a worried frown to a drooling idiot. _Ahhh… the different delicacies waiting for me! _

Megumi, with a twitching eye, leaned forward and boxed his head. "Hmph! Thinking about food again!"

"Itee…" Sano rubbed his head, wincing slightly at the blow. "I can't help it. After all that stressful driving, I'm really hungry." 

The black steed beside them tittered. Enishi's gaze observed the town. "I don't understand. No one's here." He turned the horse around and galloped in an alley, shouting back. "I'll look around. Stay here." 

__

Oh sure… leave us alone in peril. Kaoru sneered and caught herself. What in the world is she saying? She never felt this antagonistic towards a person. _Shut up Kaoru. He's being nice… looking around town to see anything's amiss. You should do something, instead of prettily sitting here. _Kaoru lifted her skirts and went down the coach. "I'll just look around. The buildings are really interesting." Looking back at the two bickering lovers, she might as well have been talking to a wall. She sighed and walked towards a toy shop. 

__

Wow, these toys look so life- like. She stared through the display window and examined the ugly, yet realistic toy goblins. Their skins were brown, eyes red, and their grins were evil and teeth sharp. Crouching, they would not reach Kaoru's knees. _Hmmm… interesting. But I'll bet these will give the children nightmares. _She grinned as a thought popped in her head. _Maybe I should buy one and give it to Fuuma. He's been low lately and I'm sure he'd enjoy such a gruesome figure like this. _

She leaned closer, looking for a tag of some sort. 

Then, it blinked. 

Kaoru reeled back, heart pounding against her chest. _What the hell…? _Overcoming her initial fear, she gulped and leaned forward yet again, thinking that it might be a mechanical toy, a machine of some sort making his eye lids blink if one stares too hard. _Yeah, that might be it. _She reasoned. _This is just a mechanical toy that blinks whenever someone stares too hard and – _

The 'toy goblin' jumped at her, shattering the glass. She let out a terrified scream as it clung to her not letting go, clawing at her clothes, her hair, her face, drawing blood. _Oh gross! Stinking creatures!! Haven't they ever heard of breath mints?! _She fought it, trying to fling it off, but it held on, laughing maniacally at her feeble efforts. 

"Jou- chan! What the – "

She hardly heard the surprised exclamation as she fell back, and felt around for a weapon, anything! Her hands grasped a stick of some sort. Determined, she screamed, "Here's your BREATH MINT!!!" She hit the ugly creature with the stick, and it fell unconsciously off her. Panting, she stood up in victory, albeit shakily. _What the hell are those creatures? _She turned her gaze towards the coach, wondering if Sano and Megumi are okay when she suddenly stopped. Her blue eyes widened in shock and fear as the scene before her unfolded. 

They were all over the place. Some were holding knives or shards of glass, while others were just creating plain havoc. Thankfully, since she was standing by the shadows of the buildings, she wasn't really noticed except for that goblin earlier. She shuddered at the disgusting creatures and remembered something. Sano and Megumi. And the coach was in the middle of the Town Square. 

Her blues eyes frantically looked for the couple. She spotted them on the coach, Sano was holding his bleeding arm, trying to defend Megumi. Megumi was fighting off a goblin that was trying to climb the coach. Around five creatures were down, hit by Sano. Some of the goblins were holding wooden spikes, as if they knew that they were fighting with vampires. They were making a circle around the coach, laughing that cold, maniacal laughter. 

__

I must do something! Gripping tightly the stick she's holding, she set a grim face. _All those practices in Kendo pay off! I'll save my friends no matter what! _She called out to Megumi, just as Sano was struck in his side by a small flailing hand with a stake. "Megumi! Drive the coach out of here! I'll take care of this! Bring Sano back to the castle!"

"Kaoru! But-"

"No buts! GO!"

Around twenty now. She narrowed her eyes and her body automatically formed into an offensive stance. She walked out of the shadows, to the light so she'll be seen by the goblins, distracting them enough to stop assaulting the couch and giving Megumi enough time to get away. She grinned, a glint of excitement in her eyes. "Hey, stinkers! Want more breath mints?!"

The goblins stopped what they were doing, their pointy ears flinching and red eyes were gazing straight at her. Then, stealthily, they circled her, three- toed feet tapping lightly at the cobbled floor, grins mischievous and evil. They paused, staring at the black- haired, blue- eyed victim. All is quiet as victim and goblins stared relentlessly at each other. A breeze whipped around the circle, giving Kaoru strength. Megumi's cinnamon eyes were large, and she held her breath, waiting for the signal. She gripped the reins to the horses hard. 

A goblin jumped toward her with a squeal. 

"Now!" Kaoru sidestepped and swung her 'bokken', hitting hard, leaving the goblin either dead or unconscious. Others were coming all at once, and she was able to swing from side to side, creating a sort of a dance in the middle of the town square, sending goblins flying in all directions. 

The neigh of the horses were heard as Megumi laboriously turned the coach and drive out to the forest like mad, throwing off any goblin who's stupid enough to cling to a speeding coach. "I'll send help! I owe you Tanuki!"

"Don't bother!" Kaoru was panting, her stamina not holding up. She flung aside another goblin and hit the neck of another. "I'm having a good time! Honest!" She gritted her teeth as she changed her stance, eyeing the coming goblins. _I can still keep this up, but not any longer. _She avoided a flying goblin. 

Megumi smiled shakily, and looked back at Kaoru. She saw a black horse speeding towards her with its white- haired rider. She directed her gaze in front of her and sighed. _She'll be safe. _She glimpsed at the man beside her and her brow creased with worry. _Hold on, Sano. I've just found you and I'm not letting you go so fast. _She wiped her tears and shouted at the horses. "Faster!" 

* * *

__

OH GREAT. JUST GREAT.

Misao sighed in exasperation as she rounded the same corner for the hundredth time. Or so it seems. _Just how many times can one person get lost in this maze, huh? I'm sooo going to kill Fuuma. I told him to meet me in the library hours ago! And for such a young age, he already stood me up! MEN! Argh!_

She steamed on, stomping occasionally here and there, not minding if the suits of armor she just passed trembled – in apprehension or fear for the raging woman, or maybe both. Misao paused at the end of one hallway, deciding whether to go left or right. Thinking that deciding is too much a task for her to bear in that moment, she saw a chair and sat on it, resting her tired feet.

Her thoughts wavered to another direction, namely a certain dark- haired vampire. Blue- green eyes twinkled in pleasure as she though of Aoshi. _For a vampire, he's not half- bad. He's considerate, helpful, and really… hot – errr… I mean humble. Yeah. I guess I do kind of like him. As a friend. Yeah. _She struggled with something that was near to bursting inside of her. She's not ready to accept it yet, not for a long mile. She'll just harbor her feelings inside her, not letting anyone see it in her actions. _I'll simply go on with my life. _She paused and thought again. _Well, if you could call living-in-a-supernatural-world-with-creatures-trying-to-kill-you a life, then I'll try to live it as best as I can! _

Spirits up and optimism on, she jumped to her feet and decided on turning right this time. At the end of this hallway, huge doors met her sight. The intricate design looked familiar. _Ah! _Misao snapped her fingers in recognition. _Why didn't I think of it before! Of course, the throne room! _She hurried on and slightly opened the doors, peeking inside. "Fuuma? Are you here?"

Nothing moved. 

"Fuuma, you brat! Where are you? I know you're hiding here somewhere!"

She went inside further. The doors behind her silently swung close. She jumped at the sound. _Hey, just a door. Nothing scary about huge blocks of unidentified material closing behind you, leaving you in a dark throne room by yourself. _She shivered. She looked around and resolved on looking on dark corners, thinking that the boy must be hiding. 

"All right, I'll play hide and seek with you for now. When I catch you, you'll have to take a bath!"

She heard a sound on the side of the throne. She smirked. _Hehehe… I've got you now. _Waiting for the right moment, she hid in the shadows on one of the huge column. _On three. One, two, thre – _

"Aoshi, come. I have something that I believe is yours."

Gulping, Misao steadied herself, keeping her body in the shadows. _Phew, that was close! I almost jumped on the king! I'd better go. _She started tiptoeing towards the side.

"What is it, father?"

"Hmph… it's been a long time since I've heard that from you. Well, here it is."

A sound of something being drawn out from a scabbard is heard. 

Misao paused, curiosity getting the better out of her. _A peep wouldn't hurt. _And so she peeped around the column, and watched. 

In front of the throne, Aoshi was facing the king, holding something shiny in both of his hands. The king was holding a scabbard. Squinting to see better, Misao strove to see the other material that the king was holding. It was another scabbard. Come to think of it, the scabbards were short, unlike the usual long ones for a sword. Her gaze turned back to Aoshi. 

"How- how did you..."

"Swing it around. It might be a bit creaky around the edges, but it's as good as new."

"They were broken before."

"I obviously had it fixed, only by the best of course." The king seemed suddenly old. "I'm giving these again to you. Evil times are coming. We must protect the ones we love."

Aoshi suddenly swung around, swiftly and efficiently handling the two short swords. Misao's eyes widened with awe, and her heart suddenly started to beat faster. The light from the stained glass windows reflected on him, making him look heavenly and… _beautiful. He's so beautiful_. She studied the lithe movements, the smoothness of his swings and formations. _Perfect. Like an angel fighting for the good of all. _

Aoshi stopped his movements. He was deeply touched. He had broken his kodachi because of pure fury, fury towards himself for not being able to protect his mother from the slayer. He had mourned for her, the only one who showed any affection towards him. Then she was killed, and he was not even there. After that, he became cold and reclusive, and he had searched and killed the slayer in cold blood. He had continued killing with his vampire powers, more for the exhilaration and the rush of blood on the head rather than for necessity. He often regretted those times, the blood, the wasted lives. And now, his father had returned these, reminding him that protecting their loved ones is priority. A certain dark- haired blue- eyed woman flashed in his mind. He took a deep breath, and spoke. "Thank you, father. You will be assured that I will use these for the good of our land."

"Don't mention it, son." The king had a twinkle in his red eyes, and he patted his son in the back. "You'll need it now more than ever. I'm getting quite old, and though my physique doesn't show it, I feel it." His eyes darkened, as a memory flashed. "I'm getting tired, and I miss your mother. I will be with her soon."

"What are you talking about?"

Suddenly, the huge doors opened and a frantic soldier stumbled inside. "Your highness! An uprising has started. The people are discontent and they are moving towards the castle as we speak. Many of our soldiers are already down!" 

Grim and serious, the king asked the soldier, "Who is the leader?"

"They do not know. Our source said that it was a young man with pale hair and green eyes. No one knows his name."

"Let me fight. I'll easily subdue them."

"No." The king faced the determined prince. "You have a much greater task at hand. Bring the women and children to the portal and close it. Especially that girl… Misao. Bring them to Earth and to safety."

Upon hearing this, Misao stepped out of the shadows. "Wait! No… I won't go."

The three men looked at her in surprise. 

"I- I mean, if you say that I'm this Ch'nage thing and I have great powers of some sort, I- I'll fight." Misao stuttered. _I'm going to fight, no matter what. I'll help Aoshi- sama. _

"You cannot!" The king started frantically. "You have not tapped into it yet... you will lose, and our only hope will be gone! You must go now, before it's too late!"

"But-"

"Aoshi, bring her to the portal, now. She must go before he even sets foot here –"

A terrified scream was heard. All eyes turned towards the entrance. The soldier lay crumpled on the floor, eyes rolled, blood flowing out of a gash on his side. Behind the body, a man stood, tall and impenetrable. "Too late, my king." He drawled, and flashed a smile. 

Misao gasped. That dark hair. Those emerald green eyes. It could only be… "Shiro."

"Yes." The man stepped out of the shadows. "I'm so glad you remembered me, Misao." He murmured. He moved his hands in a forward motion and the heavy doors behind him closed easily, the lock falling into place. 

Aoshi narrowed his eyes, and he moved beside Misao, put his arm around her waist, drawing her close to him. "What do you want?"

Shiro smiled cynically. "What do villains usually want? The power, the kingdom, the girl." He leered at Misao, his eyes roaming all over her body. Misao shivered and moved closer to Aoshi. 

"Why are you here? How did you get here?" Misao fairly shouted. She couldn't help it, this guy was giving her the creeps. 

"Well, let's see. there's this thing called the portal. Oh by the way, I closed that up already. So none of your precious nobles will get out now." He sneered. "And I came here… to take over the kingdom." He smiled devilishly. 

Something was nagging on Aoshi's brain. Something about the assignment. His eyes widened a fracture as realization dawned on him. "You're the vagabond we've been looking all over for."

Shiro clapped. "Bravo, Mr. Shinomori. You've figured that out. Unfortunately, that's only one of my identities."

Misao had a dreadful feeling about this. "What do you mean?"

Shiro flicked his fingers, and a red mist shrouded his form completely. Misao watched, astounded, as the tall man seemed to shrink. After a few moments, the red mist was blown away and a small form replaced the tall man. The dark head was tipped forward. He looked up, green eyes flashing in amusement. "Misao- sensei."

Misao almost fainted. _No… It can't be…_

Fuuma. 

* * *

A/n: WAHAHAHA!!! Evil, evil me. Before you know it, I'll be growing horns out of my head… mwhahaha!!! *grins EVILLY* 

Well… I know I know. It was supposed to be bloodshed and gore by now but… what the heck. I'm tired and It'll get too long. (now those of you who's complaining that this is not long enough, well… It's long enough for me! so.. there! *huff huff*) hehe. Pardonez moi. I'm crazy. *shrugs* So I've decided to cut the chapter into two. Yehey. 

Well… I'm really, truly grateful for the reviewers! Gawd… it reached 200+! *shoves tears from eyes and bawls* I'm soo happy!! Yey! 

JadOo: Well, I have to agree with you on that one. Kaoru can be kind of creepy sometimes. Ehehe. ^_^

The *Spangled* Pandemonium: Yeah, the plot thickeneth like soup. Errr. Nevermind. Doesn't Kenshin look adorable washing? *sigh* wahaha! Really is funny though… *grin grin*

Selph: Okay, I was mean to Misao. She was out of sorts there. Well. Like the author at that time. Hehe. And I like denials, don't you? 'tis fun! Haha!

Nekonomiko: Sorry!! No waff yet. Bloodshed first, THEN waff. I have a very twisted mind. Wehehehe. 

DarkFairy: Hey! I didn't see any updates! *looks for Darkfairy* no updates yet! hmph! I wanted to know what happened… harrumph! :P

Stelok: well, nice try anyway. ^_^

Lil_witch: *bawls* I know! I kno-ho-how… Well, it's chaotic. I'm weird and twisted. So there. (sigh. Everyone's cute in anime.)

Hitokiri_Chibi: Hey! Sorry, nope! Only L.J. Smith. Gotta love that series. ^_^ still, if I see it, I'll read it. Thanks! 

Noa: hahaha! I thought you weren't a kxk fan! Ha! *points at noa* Oh well, sorry. Not shishio. I don't know, I might put him in the next story. It's sort of Shiro who's the main villain. (made up character. Was planning to change him but got lazy. ;P) And yeah, they're not really relatives though the king seems to think so. ^_^

NatsuNoAme: Yay! Glad you loved it! It's my first so I'm kinda… *wobbles around* you know. Hehehe… well, people are weird. Eccentricity is cool. Errr. Right. Anyway, hope ya keep reading! ^_^

Je suis jolie: haha. Rosa. Stop that. You don't read anyway. *pffft* besides, I'll bow down and praise God if ever you lift your lazy butt to do something… hahaha! Just kidding… ;p hay nako. 'wag na nga! Grrr… *bonks rosa on head* hmph! Happy new year! :P (ppsstt… haven't done a thing yet! not histo, not fil, not anything! *bawls*)

Well, Thanks so much! Please read and review! What do you think? I screwed up things too much, I guess… well. That's life. And this is just a story. Too bad it ain't real. *shrugs* well, thanks for everything minna- san! And Happy new year! *boom boom kaboom*


	18. the Dance of the Swords

Author's notes: I AM ALIVE!!!! *rises out of the coffin with smoke all around* MWAHAHAHA!!!

(~_~) Darn. School's back. Gomen nasai minna- san! I just had TOO many sh**ty homeworks. And monologues. My head is near to bursting like a watermelon! *AARRGGHH!*

Anyway… I'm really sorry for leaving it hanging like that… I sort of lost my creative juices in the middle of it so… hehehe. Oh yeah, I think this will be over soon… about 5 or less chappies. *yay!* Well, here it is then! ^_^

****

WARNING!!: rated for violence. (though it's not really written that good… violence is violence. So if you hate bloodshed, war, blah blah… don't read. ^_^)

Disclaimer: *Ms. Dis Claimer: Do a monologue in exchange for the rights of rurouni kenshin!!* NOOOOO!!!! *sigh* hai, hai… I don't own it then. *sob*

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

****

Misao almost fainted. _No… It can't be…_

Fuuma. 

* * *

"Fuuma!"

Misao controlled herself before she cried out in shock, anger, and sorrow. _Fuuma… that sweet boy I taught in kindergarten… It can't be! No… He's not real… it's just some illusion or something… Shiro can't be Fuuma!_

"Misao- sensei," The green eyes, looking very much the same as Shiro's emerald green ones, glimmered. "I am sorry for deceiving you. I had to do it… for my plan." A sardonic smile was in his lips, stating that he's not really sorry at all. In fact, he looked pleased as he studied the shocked faces of Misao, Aoshi, and the king. He narrowed his eyes. _Which reminds me… _"I am afraid, king-sama, that I have to dispose of you now." He said politely. 

The sound of the unsheathing of two swords is heard. 

"No." Aoshi walked calmly towards Fuuma, his body tense, muscles ready and taut. His eyes, now turned silver, spoke of death… and not of his own. "You have to pass me first." A few meters away from the boy, he paused and readied, his body slowly forming to a stance.

The eerie sound of a boy's cynical laughter rang out the whole throne room. 

"You!" Emerald eyes were wide and crazed. "You will never beat me! You are a weakling… not fit to have the honor of battling me." He lowered his head, brown bangs covering his eyes. "Get out of my way." He waved his arm to the side.

Aoshi, surprised, felt a pull so strong, that he couldn't stop it, even if he knew about it. He flew to the side, slamming hard to a pillar, and finally sliding down the slippery surface. _What the hell?! No creature on Nifleheim can have that much power. _He thought as he winced, holding his bruised upper arm. _Especially a vampire. _He started standing up, and he felt a hand holding him down. He looked up and saw the determined glint in his father's red eyes. 

"I'll handle this, son. I haven't had a decent fight in years!" the king flashed a grin. "It might take me back to the old days…" His tone became serious as his gaze glanced on the boy with an evil grin on his lips, and went on to Misao across the hall, who was slumped to the floor, hands lightly covering her mouth as she suppressed her scream. Tears were threatening to spill over her beautiful blue eyes. The king's grip on his son's shoulder tightened as he gave out a last warning. "Protect her, Aoshi. Protect her with all your life." 

The king strode in the middle of the hall, his stature screaming of royalty and commanding respect. He dropped his coat and flexed his broad shoulders. "I accept your challenge, Shiro." 

The boy looked up and smiled sweetly then. "Hai. Wouldn't you want to play a bit first, king-sama?" He snapped his small fingers… 

…and a spiral black stone broke off from the ceiling and came down rapidly to where Misao was. 

"Misao! Move!" Aoshi screamed and ran towards her. _No… I'm too far…_

Misao sat, shock evident in her face. She couldn't move. Some unknown force was keeping her rooted in place, keeping her from rolling out. She closed her eyes as the tip of the spiral was closing in quickly. _Kami- sama… I'm going to die now for sure. _She waited. When no piercing pain came, she blinked and looked up – the glinting tip a mere inch from the tip of her nose. _Oh. My. Kami- sama. _

Aoshi stopped running, his brain not entirely accepting what he is seeing in front of him. The huge slab of stone hung in the air just above Misao's nose. Just like an inverted Christmas tree. _What the -?_

"Good. I thought you've lost your touch, king- sama." Fuuma smiled. "Unfortunately, you're not as strong as before." He lowered his arm, but the spiral still stayed put.

The king steadied his arm, sweat breaking out of his forehead, but a grin still plastered on his face. "I'm not that old, Shiro." He swept up his fingers, making the spiral twist up and smash to the wall. "Now, no more games. We'll fight now. Swords." The king faced the boy, reached out to his side, and unsheathed a silver, thin blade, in all its shining glory.

"Alright then." The red mist shrouded the boy, and a tall figure rose out from it. Shiro smiled, and procured a sword – unnaturally silver green, an evil aura surrounding it. He held it out in front of him. "But first…" He waved both his hands, and both Aoshi and Misao were lifted up and encased individually in a mist- like globe, which is surprisingly sturdy. From above, they could clearly see the stage below, and the fight that is going to happen shortly.

"A proscenium seat isn't at all bad up there, isn't it?" Shiro laughed, a cold sound that resonated around the hall. "Now. We begin." 

He rushed forward at lightning speed. 

But the king was ready for him.

Silver met green.

* * *

__

Iteee…. Ow! Kaoru winced as she opened her eyes and sat up. She looked at her arm, the source of her discomfort, dried blood stuck on it. She cleaned it as best as she could with her skirt and saw the mark. A bite mark. A bit annoyed, she tore off a piece of her under skirt and bandaged her arm crudely. Then she looked around. 

A candle was lit on top of a small stone table, giving her enough light to look at her surroundings. She was sitting on a cold floor, in a dark, musty room, with walls made of gray stone. Besides the table, there are no other furniture. A door, most probably locked from the outside, was on her left. She shivered. _Where am I? Last thing I remembered was a hideous goblin, or something, biting me, and then Enishi coming towards me with his horse. _She shook her head, trying to clear her groggy mind. _No, wait… there were vague scenes of trees and a black castle… the castle! I'm in some part of the castle! _She stood up, wincing at the pain from her arm but ignoring it anyway. She headed towards the door. _If this is the castle, then I can…_

The door suddenly opened, swinging outward. 

Kaoru gasped. _Enishi._

She ran to him awkwardly, glad that he's here, glad that he came. "Enishi! What am I doing here? Come on, let's go. I have to tell the king…" She tugged at him, and looked up. 

He was smiling, looking at her with those cold turquoise eyes. "I don't think so. I brought you here. You are my prisoner now… you are mine now. I'll just have to finish the job."

Panic welled up inside Kaoru. _What is he talking about? _She backed up into the room as he started towards her, walking calmly and confidently. Her eyes widened as she realized something… _Oh no! is he going to rape me? _Frantic, she pushed at him and tried running for it to the door. But he was able to grip her ankle, making her fall down. "Get off, you pervert!" She screamed. She kicked and squirmed, trying to get out of his firm grasp. "Help! Somebody!" 

"No one can hear you. We're at the farthest end of the castle. So give it up!" He laughed as he pulled her towards him, her body sliding at the floor, arm bumping to the doorframe, pain flashing behind her eyelids. She tried to struggle, tried to get away, but to no avail. It's hopeless. She was weak, losing that much blood. She can't do anything now…

"Get your hands off her."

Enishi stopped and sat up, bringing Kaoru with him, his arms locking around her body. His eyes narrowed and the corner of his lips quirked up as he recognized the figure by the door. "Ah. Himura. What a pleasant surprise… so you followed me. You shouldn't have done that." He said, eye twitching. 

"Release her or die." Kenshin said coldly, yellow eyes not giving anything away. He held out his black wooden sword in front of him, the smooth surface flashing. 

__

Kenshin! Kaoru almost cried in relief. Then she realized what he was going to do. He was going to fight the vampire… just to save her. "No Kenshin! Get out of here!"

The vampire laughed maniacally. "How sweet." He tightened his hold on the girl and sniffed at the Jasmine scent of her hair, eyes closed. "Too bad she's mine now." He buried his face on her hair and stared at the seething slayer. "We'll just have to fight, one on one." 

He stood up, dragging Kaoru with him, and went over to the stone table. He roughly pushed her down and there were chains that she hadn't noticed before. She was imprisoned. "Kenshin! I can take care of myself… he'll kill you! Go!"

"I'll protect you, Kaoru, no matter what." He followed Enishi cautiously outside the door, entering a courtyard. From Kaoru's point of view, she could see everything through the door. Kenshin situated himself at her far left moving into position, yellow eyes flashing. Enishi moved into the far right, drawing out a sword. 

For a second, all was quiet.

Then both fighters moved simultaneously, jumping in the air so fast that Kaoru couldn't see… even if tears weren't blinding her vision. A flash, and the loud sound of the meeting of swords is heard. 

Black met white.

* * *

__

[The Dance of the Swords…]

**__**

They parried, blow by blow, looking for an opening. Both are equally gifted, equally great in his talent. Both determined to win no matter what. Too much is at stake. 

__

[The two ends of the castle will flash at the dawn of the flaming dragon]

The sky was blood red, mirroring the intentions of Enishi and Kenshin. Either one of them will win. Only one of them will win.

A loud clang brought the two swords together, hilt to hilt, yellow versus turquoise. Both pushed away at the same time.

__

He's good, for a human vermin. Enishi thought. _Still, he must be disposed of. I will have my sweet Kaoru, and no one will stop me. _He smiled eerily. "Giving up, Himura?" 

He put his sword back to its sheath. Yellow eyes flashed. "Never." He waited. _Patience is the key. _

Enishi smirked, "Now, you die." He rushed forward. 

Battousai waited.

The vampire was only five meters away now. _Wait_. Three meters. Two. _Almost…_ One! And he slashed… on air. His eyes narrowed. _Above. _He continued his momentum, angling it upwards. It pierced skin. 

Enishi landed on his feet a few meters away from where Kenshin was standing. He felt his shoulder… it was bleeding. He narrowed his eyes. "Bravo, Himura. You were able to wound me so. But there won't be a next time." He quickly vanished. 

Battousai enhanced his senses to be able to detect Enishi. He must be aware, must not lose concentration. But then… he heard a gasp. Distracted, he looked towards the open chamber, seeing Kaoru in chains, too pale for her own good. She was looking at her two fingers. Blood was dripping down from them. His heart twisted.

Suddenly, a sword came out of nowhere, piercing his side. Kenshin retaliated, striking back. A fast paced exchange of blows was on. Battousai was weakened – the image of Kaoru in that awful state imbedded on his mind – not being able to deflect most of the blows. Cuts and bruises were on his arms, shoulders, and body. He jumped out of the way, just as Enishi gave a powerful slash on the side. Weary and tired, he stood shakily, leaning on his sword, black and threatening. 

Kaoru was watching the match, worried to her very soul. She had brought her fingers to her throat, which was throbbing for some reason. In her surprise, something wet and sticky was there. She looked at her fingers and saw blood. _Blood? I didn't know that I had a wound in my throat. _She brought it up again, feeling for the extent of the wound… there seemed to be two small puncture holes. _Weird. Puncture holes? What would cause such a … _Then the truth hit her. She was bitten. She had been bitten by a vampire… by Enishi most likely. No wonder she felt weak. No wonder she didn't have the strength to struggle for long… there was barely a drop of blood on her body. She trembled, feeling the effects of it. "Kenshin…" she was able to choke out.

Kenshin suddenly whirled around at the whisper, and he was scared. For the first time on a very long time, he was scared. Kaoru was dying. His heart beating rapidly and completely ignoring Enishi, he started towards Kaoru, albeit laboriously. "KAORU!" 

A sudden pain in his shoulder caused him to halt. Eyes wide, he managed to turn his head around… and met the flashing turquoise eyes of his opponent. 

"We aren't finished yet." Enishi smiled… and pushed his sword further, deeper into Kenshin's shoulder. Kenshin cried out in pain and collapsed. "Now we are." He kicked the redhead lying on the ground and made towards Kaoru.

"KENSHIN!!!" Kaoru screamed, her voice full of sorrow and pain. _No… this can't be happening… because of her, Kenshin might be dead! _Her eyes filled with tears. _Kenshin._

"Don't worry, my sweet Kaoru. You're with me now." The vampire approached her, softly cupping her face. She was perspiring and gasping. _Good. It's almost time. _"I'll just have to take more of your blood." He tilted her neck and bit.

Kenshin struggled up. 

He saw Enishi bite Kaoru's neck.

He saw the beautiful too-pale face of Kaoru.

He saw the blood on her. 

The pain, the anger, the sorrow… his emotions had mixed up rather crazily… He had to release it. His eyes turned dark amethyst, his arm pointed to Enishi. _Release it. _And he did.

A dark purple light shot through his arm and out the tips of his fingers. It went straight towards the feeding Enishi. The vampire's turquoise eyes dilated, a shock went throughout his whole body, his organs burning, his blood vessels popping. The heat was so intense that he was scratching like a madman, trying to take out the heat inside him. In a couple of seconds, he lay on the ground beside Kaoru, body producing thin wisps of smoke. 

Kenshin walked towards Kaoru. He was sobbing by the time he got there. He sat beside her, holding her beautiful face gently with his bloody hands. "Kaoru… please, don't die on me… please…" He whispered hopelessly. He brushed her hair away from her face, wiped the blood and tears that left streaks on her perfect skin. "Kaoru…" 

Kaoru fluttered her eyes open, an intense blue peeping out under long lashes. "Kenshin." She said softly. "I… want to thank you… and I'm so sorry. I'm so.. sorry." Trembling, her hand gently touched Kenshin's face. "I love you." Her eyes fluttered close, her right hand falling lifelessly on her side.

"KAORU!!!" He screamed out all his sorrow, this pain, this pain will never go as long as he lives. He had also loved her, her beautiful smile, her friendly attitude, everything about her. "Kaoru… my Kaoru. I love you." He rocked her head on his arms, his whole body trembling at the intensity of his despair. He kept repeating those words, those three words, but she will never hear them. He kissed her soft sweet lips, but it will never kiss back. She will never BE again.

A choking sound was heard behind him. "Maybe I- I can help. I had loved her too… in my own way. I had known that she wasn't a vampire from the start… yet she has captivated me. A vermin! And now… I have destroyed her." Enishi, still suffering from the blast he had received, moved closer to Kaoru and slit his wrist with his fangs. Blood welled up, and he tipped it over her red lips. 

But her lips did not move. She was truly dead… it is too late for her to be made into one of the undead. Enishi sighed and lied back. "It was worth a try." He shook his head. "You're… a… witch. I should've known." He shook his head once again and laid back. Turquoise eyes forever closing to the dark.

Kenshin was still rocking her body against his. He has not cared about Enishi's attempt at bringing her back by giving her his blood. It would not be possible for a dead corpse to be brought back from the dead. He also didn't care about being a witch. He hadn't known… and he certainly does not care now. All he cares about is Kaoru. His sweet Kaoru. His sweet, dead Kaoru. 

A breeze blew silently around the courtyard. 

* * *

__

[The Dance of the Swords]

**__**

They parried, blow by blow, looking for an opening. Both are equally gifted, equally great in his talent. Both determined to win no matter what. Too much is at stake. 

Aoshi sat, holding his fast healing side. _He won't be able to take anymore of this, _he thought as he watched the two below. He looked at the side, to the other misty cage parallel to his own prison, eyes misting over. _I must find a way to take her out of here. _

Misao gasped as the fight became heated up, the king weakening in each blow that Shiro gave him. She went down to his knees and pounded on the floor of the misty cage. _Damn it! They have to stop this! I must do something! _She looked at her hands, palms red and aching from pounding on the semi- transparent walls. _Why can't I do anything? If I AM a Ch'nage, and I have great powers that king-sama is talking about, then why doesn't it come out when I need it desperately? Why? _She choked back an angry sob and looked below just in time to see the king narrowly defending himself from Shiro's strong blow. She watched quietly, praying for a miracle.

The king jumped up after deflecting Shiro's attack. _He's good. Really good. I must not underestimate him. _He flew down, using gravity to strike a heavy blow on the opponent. He slashed diagonally downwards, and turned around just in time to prevent a cold green tip from slicing his throat. _Fast! _He jumped back, studying Shiro.

The smirk on his face never wavered. Shiro moved once more into position drawing back his heavy sword back. He moved swiftly, his sword seemingly attacking all places at ones. His emerald eyes glinted evilly as blood was drawn. "Enjoying yourself, my king?" he stated mockingly.

__

Damn. The king held his left arm, a huge gash bleeding from the shoulder to the elbow. He was barely able to defend himself. He looked at the wound. _Why is it not healing? _He thought he saw bits of green splinter- like particles embedded on the wound. _Damn it again. Petrified wood. _He turned a scathing red gaze at Shiro. 

Shiro grinned widely. "Yes. Petrified wood. My sword is made from only the finest… the wood found on the bottom of a frozen lake in Greenland, the only one of it's kind." He licked a drop of blood from the blade of his sword and snickered. "Though if my sources were correct, yours is a pretty unique piece too. Excavated from the far north… a glacier in Alaska, I believe. A thin silver ice surrounding the crystal- like petrified wood. Not bad for an opponent." He then surged forward, moving on a god-like speed. "But not good enough too!"

The king also surged forward, towards the speeding opponent. 

Emerald orbs darkened in surprise at the stupid act. _He will never survive after this. _He slashed on the king's torso and felt muscles and skin rip. _I've got you now. _Continuing his forward motion, he didn't realize that the king turned, silver sword pointing at the broad back of Shiro… 

…and stabbing straight through skin, muscle, and organs.

Everything was still, the king's sword through Shiro's body, his hand still on the handle. Shiro's eyes were wide, more with surprised than pain. The two prisoners hovering above in the mist- cage were stunned, not a single breath was heard. 

The king pulled out the bloody silver sword, and Shiro fell on his knees, gasping. He laughed, a cold, maniacal laughter. "Hell of a good move, king." He slumped on the floor, unmoving. Red, thick blood slowly covered the floor.

Serious and contemplative, the king sheathed his sword. Ignoring his wound, he used the power that is left in him to bring the two down safely. Misao quickly ran towards him. "King-sama! You did great!" she exclaimed. She then gasped, seeing the huge gash on his torso. "You're hurt!" She started tearing her underskirt to use as a bandage. A hand stopped her movements and she looked up at ruby red eyes, hazy with pain.

"Don't… bother." He gave her a lopsided smile and collapsed.

"Father!" Aoshi caught the falling man in his arms, an expression of pure sorrow in his face… the second time ever in his life. "No… you're strong! Don't give up, father!" Head whirling in emotions, Aoshi didn't realize a single tear dropping to his cheeks, down his chin, and splashing to the king's tattered clothes. "Father…" 

Misao couldn't say anything. She knelt back, a bit holding back from father and son, weeping quietly. Her head bent, she was staring at her palms, now wet from the tears splashing down on them. _Why? Why couldn't I do anything? _She formed her hands into fists.

The king coughed, a trickle of blood on the corner of his mouth. "Hey. Don't worry, son. I'm getting sick and tired of living anyway. I can't wait to see your mother." He coughed again and grasped his son's arms. "Protect her, Aoshi. Protect her. She is the only…" He coughed continuously, face contorted in pain. His grasp slackened and fell on Aoshi's side.

"Don't speak. It will only make it harder for you. Rest now." 

"You must protect her… must protect Nifleheim… the prophecies… remember…" 

"Hush now." Aoshi couldn't make out what his father was talking about. He was rambling, and he supposed it was because of the intense pain. He held him closer to his chest. 

Misao was too far away to figure out the conversation. She didn't care, wouldn't care anyway. It was between father and son, and that was sacred. She looked up, seeing Aoshi overcame with sorrow. Tears flooded her eyes again and wiped them away. _I must be strong… for Aoshi. _Then a shadow moved from the corner of her eye. She whipped her head and saw 'Fuuma' smiling evilly, holding the twisted green sword in his hands. _What the…? I thought he was dead! _He moved swiftly, sword jutted out, coming towards Aoshi and the king. She screamed. "AOSHI! WATCH OUT BEHIND YOU!"

Aoshi vaguely heard what Misao screamed out, deep he was in his sorrow. The king moved, in the prince's great astonishment, and shifted, changing places with Aoshi by turning him around, his back meeting Fuuma's sword. The stunned vampire was still, warm blood flowing freely, his clothes soaked with the red liquid. He did not realize that the tip of the green sword went through the king's body, causing a wound in his abdomen. He only saw the flashing emerald green eyes, very much alive, laughing at him, at his father. Pure, unmitigated fury seeped into his veins, seeking revenge. 

"You BASTARD!" 

He pulled away from the king's corpse, picked up the silver sword on the floor, and slashed at the boy.

Surprised, Fuuma was able to move out, but not fast enough. The livid vampire had managed to cut Fuuma's cheek… a long line from his left eyebrow to his chin. He hissed in pain and flicked his wrist, sending Aoshi smacking the great column for the second time that day. The silver sword fell and shattered into three distinct pieces.

"You insolent fool! You are no match for me. You must be killed. And I will take the girl." He made a gesture and men suddenly came out of the shadows, holding the prince captive. 

A few struggling ensued, but to no avail. He was wounded and weak, his father is dead, and the enemy is going to take Misao. "I'll never give up!" He was punched in the abdomen, right at his wound, and he moaned as pain shot out all over his body. 

Fuuma smiled. "Kill him."

"No, wait!" Misao shouted. She walked towards Fuuma and stared straight at him, cold blue eyes not giving anything away. "I'll make a deal with you. I'll willingly give up if you won't kill him. If you do, I'll make the rest of your life pure hell." She stood tall and proud. _I'll have to save him. Even in my own little way. I'll save him. _

"Don't Misao!"

Fuuma paused, and made as if to think about the offer. After all, a willing captive is much better than an uncooperative one. He smiled his cold smile. "All right. Exile him to the forbidden woods." He swept up his hands and his men began to drag the still- struggling Aoshi.

__

What? The forbidden woods just beyond the castle? But that forest is dead! No one can survive in there! "You can't do that! You'll kill him all the same!" 

Fuuma snickered. "At least I didn't kill him directly. Now go, before I changed my mind."

Misao jutted out her jaw and set a determined face. "At least let me speak to him."

Fuuma waved at her, leaving the hall, more important matters buzzing in his head. "Just don't break our treaty. Or else." He grinned evilly at her and left. 

She approached the now battered Aoshi, her heart throbbing painfully against her ribs. Her eyes filled up again as she knelt before him, trying her best to clean his wounds with a tattered rag. "Aoshi I…"

"Misao, you shouldn't have done that." He heaved a sigh. "I swore I'd protect you but…"

"It's alright. I'll be safe here. I don't think Shiro would hurt me." She tried keeping back her tears, looking strong and capable of handling this situation. But she can't… it was just too much. She sobbed quietly, leaning her head against his chest. "I'm sorry… if- if I could've just been able to summon up my power, this couldn't have happened." She gripped the front of his shirt. "I'm so sorry. Maybe I- I'm not the one. You're father's wrong…"

"Hey," Aoshi cupped her face with trembling hands, not being able to explain the pain in his heart that was more than the physical pain he's enduring right now. It was killing him, gripping his heart tightly, seeing her cry like this. "Believe in yourself. Just believe." She was so young, so beautiful even though her face had streaks of tears. He wiped them away. This might be the last time he'll be able to see her. "Don't ever give up. Be the same Misao I knew from the beginning."

He leaned close, and touched his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle, healing, soothing. Something inside them connected and burst, something that filled the hollow aches that both have felt for most of their lives. The kiss was cut short when the guards, Fuuma/ Shiro's men, shoved him away. 

"No! Please… please… just a moment more." Misao begged the guards, heart tearing to pieces as she watched them drag Aoshi out of the throne room. "Please…" She sat stunned on the floor, thinking of the times she had with Aoshi, her first kiss with him, the scene in the bathroom, the club. He had always looked dangerous and thrilling… and now, he looked vulnerable… more human. He deserved someone. He doesn't deserve to be alone in this world.

Blue eyes filled with longing and pain as realization dawned on her. "Aoshi!" She ran to the huge oak doors, planning to shout what she was feeling, the only good thing that happened to her that day. She ran around the corner, expecting to see the guards with their captive. "Aoshi I…" The hallway was empty. She stopped, light blue eyes darkened. _I love you. _She leaned against the stone wall and slid down, drawing up her knees and putting her arms around them. She rested her head on her arms in despair… _I love you… all this time I've loved you all along. And now that I've realized it, it's too late. Too late. _"Too late." She whispered.

A soft cry echoed in the hallway, the sound full of hopelessness and despair. The sky became a deep red, clouds thickening and shadowing the land. The shouts of victory in the courtyard signified the success of the uprising, the fall of the nobles, and the start of the reign of terror.

* * *

__

The Dance of the Swords. 

The two ends of the castle will flash at the dawn of the flaming dragon, when the town moved and the jewels of Nifleheim are scattered and lost. The green will reign, darkness stretching across the land. 

__

Emerald green, though 'tis color's fair,

Will rot and wither on the red dragon's lair. 

Greed and evil will reign the land,

Nifleheim and earth will succumb to the Hand.

A choice must be made, one choice only

To fight or not, the future, vague it be

In the hands of the one with the blue sapphires

Let love sacrifice… or suffer the fires.

* * *

A/n: AHEHEHE. Now that the horns have sprouted, how about a tail? I'll grow it during the weekend. *super evil grin* 

Gosh… I'm not really used to writing these kinds of chapters. Angst. Yech. Give my humor anytime. ~_~ Still… I had to put this. And most of you might kill me anyway. Yay. Hooray. 

Gosh. Gosh. This has got to be the longest I've written so far. Took me 3 days!!! (well. I was busy!) Okay, so I've added some weird prophecies. I'll explain that on the next chapters. *sigh* Fine . I'll explain it now.

Dance of the Swords- Fight between the king and Shiro (left wing of castle) and between Kenshin and Enishi. (right wing of the castle). So it's… 'two ends of the castle', right? 

Red/ flaming dragon- red sky

Town moved- the people revolted (okay…. *stares suspiciously at self*)

Jewels of Nifleheim- uhh…. The nobles? And the… whatever's precious like their principles and stuff. Bah. I'm such a deep thinker. (*smirk* yeah right)

(emerald) green – obviously the powerful Shiro.

The Hand- sort of the reign of terror. Look it up in history, Germany. (I think)

*the others… it'll come in time. Hehe.

Swords: 

Kenshin's- sort of a black wooden sword, hardened by fire and other really cool techniques. Haha.

Enishi's- ahhh… White. Urmm… haven't thought of that, really. I guess it'll be sort of a white iron, or some kind of metal. What I know is, witches are only hurt by iron. Right. So let's just say it's an iron sword… it's just coincidental that he's a witch. Besides, iron swords also hurt humans anyway. 

Shiro's- Cool sword. Well, this one's from Greenland, up north- ish. Found at the bottom of the lake so it's green. (lakes have green bottoms, right? RIGHT? Think algae. ^_^) and it's preserved by ice so it's petrified. (I'm not sure if that's correct. Haha.)

King's- ahhhh… another petrified wood- sword. From Alaska, dug out from a glacier. Has a thin layer of ice that doesn't melt so it's silvery. Pretty neat, huh? Too bad it shattered. *shrugs*

Well, I'd really like to thank the reviewers!!! (Though some of you are really itching to kill me for the last chapter, you'll most probably bomb my house now. Cool. *joke!*)

Selene: Yep! Bloodshed. I LOOOVVVEEE BLOOD! *acts like a stupid little toothless vampire* haha… well. Sorry about Fuuma… can't change it! I've planned it from the start! ^_^

Chibicherry: ahhh… well. That's life. hehe… It's all right, you can call me names… I can take it! *huffs around like she's strong and tough* haha! I'm starting to cultivate my tail already… done with the horns! Haha!

Noa: I hope you didn't skip on the Kenshin and Kaoru part this time… I think it was kind of… sad? I don't know. Hehe. Yup… they're really cute together. Aoshi and Misao, I mean. J 

Innocent dreamer: I don't think Kenshin will get bonked anymore… *sniff* gomen!

Yuko Hoon: *grumbles* You guessed it from the start. I was panicking when I read your review about Fuuma being the bad guy… I thought you were a creepy mind reader! *wimpers in the corner* haha! Joke… :P God, you shouted? OMG. Haha!

Cleoclaudia: Well, glad you liked it!!! I hope you keep reviewing even if… *aherm* nevermind. 

Chibi-ken14: I think I overdid the surprise bit here. *sweatdrop* ahhh… I've got a demented mind… hehe. 

Selph.: Yeah well, *sheepish* thanks! Sooo glad you liked it! ^_^

Crazy lassie from the hills: ahhh… are you a hentai? Haha joke! Well, they're just being protective of each other. *giggles* 

The *Spangled* Pandemonium: Me too! He really looks like a HOT avenging angel. YEAH! And… I also like girls kicking ass. ;p

Shicsaczzz-the-s2pid-psyc: gosh. Long name… So sorry that I kept you waiting! Well, it's long anyway so isn't that good? I think… well, glad you liked it! ^_^

NatsuNoAme: Oh god. I'll be expecting a thrashing from you. *hides in a 'lil corner* 

John rzeznik: Errrmmm. *scratches head* Right. So… kind of weird for you to write 'your' song in a review… *moves eyebrows up and down* haha… just kidding. Thanks! Glad you liked it! (Picasso? What a flattering analogy.) Haha! ^_^

Angelo: Whoa. Deep words! Thanks a lot! *blushes* I was really… stunned. Hmmm. Well, thanks! 

Jet dragon: *writes as fast as she can* right! Okay, I'll try… but I do hope this chapter satisfied you? Okay, maybe not. Hey, can't please them all, right? Thanks! ^_^

Okay, after giving replies to you all readers (did I miss anyone?)… I'm really getting scared sleeping at night, no knowing what or who might just stab me on my chest or chop of my head and hands with a saw. *errr… right.* Anyway, thanks for the support minna- san! Love ya'll!

Please read and review! ^_^


	19. thoughts and plans

Author's notes: Hello hello!!! Konnichiwa! *beams proudly* gosh, shocked you there, didn't I? MWAHAHAHAHAHA! *SD evil Tesuka- chan pops up* MWAHAHAHAHA! 

Aherm. Well, anyway… don't worry guyz. This ain't over yet! Things will get better… OR IS IT? MWAHAHAHAHA!!! Okay, how evil of me. I really won't apologize because that's the way I planned it from the beginning. Okay… maybe in the middle of writing this. Well, it's just the way the story goes, right? And I don't do sad endings. *huff huff* 

Anywayz, our junior's night is getting pretty close (that's the prom) and so I've got lots of things to do. Well, not too much that I couldn't write once in a while, ne? (gosh, am watching 'You're Under Arrest' and I'm absolutely drooling over Tokairin!!!) 

….

(Oi! Stop drooling and write now!) 

Errr.. yeah. *wipes drool off face* Ahehehe. Well, here is the next chapter! Oh, don't worry, I didn't forget about Megumi and Sano. Teeheehee… ^_^ Enjoy reading!

****

READ!!: Ahh… well, the scene here of Megumi and Sano is happening at the same time when Kaoru was carried away to the far end of the castle by Enishi. Then it quickly jumps to the post- battle scene. Gomen, I'm a weird writer. ^_^

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue… no booboo's! *grins* (hey, it rhymes! I'm just amused :P)

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

"ITEEEEEEE!!!"

"Hold still, you big oaf!" Megumi managed to blurt out, teeth clenched in annoyance and frustration. "You're a grown man and it's about time that you act like one!" With a last flick of her slender fingers, she tied the knot on the bandage. Tightly. 

"OUCH! Megumi…" Sano whined, looking at the lady doctor with wide, chocolate eyes. 

Megumi just rolled her eyes and raised her hands in exasperation. _Men are SUCH babies! _She started tidying up. "That won't work for me, Sanosuke Sagara! Besides, your wounds are not lethal… you're healing already! Except for that one small cut that wooden spike made." 

"It's not just a small cut! It's from my shoulder to my elbow! And wood! One splinter in the right place could be lethal!"

"Well, you didn't die, so quit it."

"But it needs a kiss!"

Megumi swirled around at that, indignation written all over her face. She was seething inside, her face reddening in anger. _Why that roosterhead! We're in the midst of all these trouble and he has the gall to fool around!_

Mistaking the red flush on her cheeks as a blush, Sano 'miraculously' jumped up and sauntered over to the trembling doctor. "Now, a kiss wouldn't hurt, would it? Why don't you give me one right where it hurts?" He grinned. 

The tall woman flashed a fake smile as Sano walked towards her. _Oh, he's gonna get it alright. _"Hmmm… come over here then." She leaned back to the table, a very seducing pose. She held up her arm towards him and wiggled her finger. 

An ear-to-ear grin was plastered on Sano's face. He hurried towards her and reached for a kiss. Her arms were hung loosely around his neck, stroking his soft hair… then they slid down the sides of his neck, massaging his broad shoulders, and gripped his arms… hard. Just where his wound is. 

"ITTEEEEE!!!!" 

__

Jackpot. Megumi looked up at the bewildered vampire, an all-too-innocent look on her face. "Is it hurting, Sano? Want me to fix it up again?" Her hands started to move towards him.

Sano took a couple of steps back, wary of the sly woman in front of him. _Sly as a fox._ "No thanks. Though your hands are really great in healing, they're particularly… harsh in their caresses." He winced as he rubbed the sore spot in his arm. _The third time I screamed today. And I hardly ever scream. _He shook his head. _What a damning woman…_

"Well, that ought to teach you to be serious in dire situations! Kaoru is out there and she's in imminent danger! Even though Enishi was coming to her rescue, it just didn't felt quite right." She frowned, worried about one of her best friends. A shiver went through her skin, sending goosebumps all over. _Oh, I hope she's all right. _

Sano's chocolate eyes darkened. _Enishi, eh? Well, I have to send Kenshin after her. I don't trust that guy. Not a bit. _"Ano… I'll just go out." He started towards the door.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"To the little boy's room. Wanna come? I might not make it… my arm hurts too much."

He grinned.

Megumi blushed this time and turned around to finish fixing her tools. As she heard him walking away and out the door, she gave out a huge sigh that she didn't even know she was holding. _What a peculiar rooster head! _ She smiled, in spite of herself. _Stubborn man… but also sweet. I was so scared when he was struck in his arm… I honestly don't know what to do without him._ Her cinnamon eyes warmed by that thought._ I won't let him go, now that I've found him. _She hummed as she wiped the black stone table, droplets of blood scattered over its surface. 

* * *

__

[A choice must be made, one choice only]

Misao was staring at the ceiling, eyes swollen and red. She had cried the whole night… very unlike her. She didn't feel like her usual cheery self, she didn't feel optimistic, that everything will turn out just fine at the end. She had stop delusioning herself with false hopes, and had started to accept the truth. 

The truth.

That she had loved him. That he was taken away from her. And that she couldn't do anything about it. 

She turned around, her face smothered in the pillow, despair overcoming her. She wanted to cry… to cry until she's dead. He might as well be dead anyway, now that they've thrown him in the forbidden forest. But no tears came. She's all dried up, empty inside. _Why couldn't I do anything? Why am I so weak? _She stared at her palms. _Why? _She tightly closed her eyes and flung out her arms. Her hand struck something hard.

A clatter was heard, the sound of metal striking the stone floor.

Misao lifted her groggy head and crawled to the edge of her bed. She peeped over and saw something glitter in the dark. A knife. Her misty blue eyes widened in recognition. It was the knife that she was planning to use when everything had just overwhelmed her… when she thought that what was revealed to her, the feelings that were brought back, had been too much. But that was nothing compared to what she was feeling now. Now… turmoil was reigning inside her, hopelessness filling the very depths of her soul.

She reached out for the knife. She examined it, turning it around in the light. It was actually a beautiful piece of work. She had found it on the armor outside her room, the steel hands clutching it. It had looked out of place in that old ensemble, and she had wriggled it out and kept it. Just in case someone tried to harm her. Now, she held it in her petite hands… it was surprisingly warm. It was shiny, more silvery actually. The blade was sharp, the handle was delicately carved with roses and vines. But at the tip of the hilt, something twinkled in the light. Something yellow.

Curious, as she was sure she hasn't seen it before, she studied the jewel. It looked like it was Amber… _Amber? But… _She brushed of the lint and dust that had gathered. With the touch of her delicate fingers, the metal surrounding the jewel widened and released the stone. Surprised and intrigued, she picked up the shining object that landed on her bed. _What is this? Why is this hidden in the hilt of the dagger? _She turned it around her pale fingers. _It IS Amber! Pretty neat… looks similar to mine… with the leaves and all. Cool! _

She clutched her own jewel, hanging around her neck. _Interesting… _She took it off and compared it to the one she had just found. _Exactly the same! _She looked in awe as the two perfect half-moon amber stones shone in front of her. The same yellow- orange glint, the same structure of leaves. _Amazing… I've never seen anything so much alike before! _Something glinted at the corner of her eye.

It was the knife again. _Hmmm… maybe there's still something in here. _She brushed over the narrowed opening and it widened again, revealing a very delicate silver chain, twisted like a vine with matching thorns. The pendant was equally exquisite, a silver claw- like creation, with something intricate carved in it that Misao cannot really identify.

Excited and mystified, she had an idea. She clutched the two amber stones together, flat side to flat side, and popped it inside the claw. Not knowing if it was some trick of her over-active imagination or the light, the claw seemingly _tightened _and clutched the two stones perfectly together, making it look like one whole, rounded stone. 

__

Wow. Now THIS is what you call special effects. She took the completed piece and gazed at it wonderingly. _Beautiful… now the plant inside is whole again. _Pleased at her discovery, she wore the necklace, clasping it in place. _It wouldn't hurt. Jewelry such as this deserved to be worn… especially by me! _She chuckled and stopped herself. She thought about what happened yesterday, all the pain and the anger. Now, her spark was back. Even though she wasn't able to do something yesterday, She is DEFINITELY going to have to do some careful planning and action this time around. She's not going to let that Fuuma-Shiro win… never. 

Misao bounced out of bed, intending to take a bath. _I'm getting stinkier every minute! Wash out the bad and let in the good… that's how it is! _A clang was heard and she stooped to pick up the dagger again. Her blue eyes flickered for a moment, mirroring the fear and hurt that she felt… and it was gone. It was replaced with the glint of sheer determination and a strong will. _Aoshi- sama prevented me from doing it… and I won't! Not 'till there's hope. He's still alive… I can feel it. _

She looked out the window. Sky still glowing red. _I've made a choice… wait for me… Aoshi- sama. I'm coming to get you._

* * *

Megumi's cinnamon eyes flung wide open.

She heard the screams, the shouts of terror and fear. Everything was in chaos… the nobles were fleeing, being chased by the power- hungry townspeople. The blood red sky mirrored the flood of blood that spilled in the castle grounds.

Megumi sat up, her heart tightening in fear. The first thought that came in her mind: _Sano. _She hurriedly dressed in her old clothes, the ones she wore when she first came here, in Nifleheim. She had to be comfortable… She's going to look for Sano. Her blue jeans fit comfortably and her asymmetrical top and black trench coat came next. She was ready for action. She hurriedly ran out, as inconspicuous as possible, hiding in the shadows and dark corners. 

__

Damn it… I don't even know where to start looking! For all I know, he might be in the kitchen stuffing his face… oh, I forgot. He's a vampire. Scratch that… now if I were Sano, where would I be? She paused behind a huge column as some townspeople passed by holding stakes and wooden swords of some kind. A thought just came to her. _Oh drat. I haven't even thought about Misao and Kaoru! I hope they're safe. Should I go look for them or Sano first? Darn it, I was never really good in making decisions…_

A hand clamped her mouth.

__

SHIT! Eyes widened with surprise and apprehension, cinnamon turned into gold. _Why you creep… I'll show you how we vampires fight! 'till death! _She bit on the hand and elbowed the attacker's stomach with a low growl on her throat. 

"OWWWWWW!!!!"

Hands up in defense, claws sharp and ready to bite into any skin or flesh that it comes contact into, Megumi raised her golden eyes to the attacker, ready to let the fury take over. "Try that again I'll tear you to pieces, you –"

She paused and blinked.

__

Why does that man who's doubled over in pain look similar somehow? She narrowed her eyes and adjusted them to the dimness of the hall. _Hmmm… broad shoulders, cursing words, spiky hair… ah! _

"Oh, Sano. It's you."

Sano was running out of expletives that he could shout behind clenched teeth. That was one helluva good defense and he felt sorry for the next person who'll attack this feisty woman… not to mention himself. _Kuso… _"Don't 'Oh Sano it's you' me! That hurts! And I haven't even recovered completely from that wound yet!!!"

Megumi sighed and walked towards him. "It's not that bad, don't be such a baby." She grabbed his bitten hand and examined it. "I didn't draw out blood. Besides, it's your fault in the first place."

"My fault? Oh, so now I'm the one who caused myself to double over in pain… why the hell would I deliberately hurt myself?!" Sano vented out, irked at the woman in front of him. _What in the world did I see in this woman?_

"WELL, rooster head, for one I was worried sick about you amidst all these chaos."

__

Oh.

"And another is… is that I was looking for you! If you leave me like that and stayed with me, I wouldn't have come out looking for you and hurt you accidentally!" 

__

Well.

Megumi sniffed, but lifted her nose and chin anyway. _If this man doesn't appreciate what I'm doing for him… humph! I was worried about him for goodness' sakes!_

Sano grinned. _I guess THAT'S what I see in her. _He raised up his hands in defeat. "Maa maa… alright. It's my fault then. I left you when you needed me most." He moved towards her. "Now come on, we'll have to go. They're taking over the castle and we can't win against them." His eyes narrowed as footsteps were heard coming towards their way.

A light was seen flickering on the wall opposite them… just around the corner. _I can't take any risks…_ Sano grabbed Megumi and flattened her on the wall, in the narrow space just behind the huge column. Before Megumi was about to protest about his rough- handling, he kissed her. _Just to shut her wise- ass comments, _he told himself. 

Megumi was surprised, to say the least. _Couldn't he at least control himself?! _ She squirmed under his heavy weight, trying to get free. _Ooohhh… now this is really…!! _His tongue slid against her bottom lip. _Well…not bad, actually… _She closed her eyes and opened her mouth under him.

Sano groaned. He couldn't take this without going further… just a bit more. He deepened the kiss. He angled his head, her full lips fitting nicely on his firm ones. He nipped on her lower lip, and felt her shiver and groan. She raised her palms to his chest, between their bodies. Just as the kiss was getting out of hand, a light flashed by.

The discombobulated pair jumped back, startled and feeling guilty, like a couple of high school students caught by a teacher. Sano shook his head, trying to chase away the haziness in his head. _Well, that went well. _He looked at the hall and saw the light moving away from them. _All clear. _

"I demand that you give me an explanation for that unnecessary action!"

"Don't start, Megumi. I had to do that or else you'd be shouting away because I shoved you. We can't have that… the enemies just passed by. Besides," He continued, the corner of his right eye twinkled as he flashed her a half- smile, "You enjoyed it."

Megumi reddened. She turned away, deciding not to speak for her own safety. _Egotistical, pompous pig! _

"Come on Megumi, we have to go to the old cemetery." Sano's voice was serious as he led her to the twists and turns of the castle halls, depending on his memory. _I hope it's still there. _

"B- but why the cemetery?" Megumi stammered as he pulled her forward, making her run faster. 

"Since they closed the portal, that's the only way of escape out of Nifleheim. I had found it accidentally when I was a kid playing around there." Come on, we'll have to be fast. It's on the edge of the forbidden forest, so no one ever goes there." 

Megumi gasped. 

The forbidden forest?!

* * *

"The forbidden forest?!"

Misao nodded, determination written clearly on her face. She had just finished relaying her plans to Tae and Yahiko, hoping that they would help her. 

"YOU'RE crazy, busu!"

"That's the only way I can go to him. He's our only hope… and he might be alive." _Not to mention that I can't awaken my powers for some stupid reason. _

"Demo, Misao- sama, no one survives there." Tae gently patted Misao's arm. "All those who are exiled were sent there, and no one ever comes back." She paused and pondered for a moment. "Well, there was actually one murderer, he ran out of the forest like mad, bumped into a tree and fainted. A few days later, he was found dead in his bed, a sword stuck in his chest. So I guess not EVERYBODY died in there." Tae gave her a shaky smile. 

Misao rolled her eyes. "That's very reassuring." She tapped her fingernails on the table, trying to contain her impatience. "So? Will you help me?" She tried the puppy-dog-eyes look.

Tae laughed and waved her hand. "All right, all right. You don't have to pull that look on me. I'll do it." She turned a stern glare at Yahiko. "Well, you have to prepare yourself, of course."

"Me?" the surprised Yahiko exclaimed. "But I didn't agree on anything!!"

Tae pushed Yahiko out the food chamber. "Come on, no time to lose! Tonight is the night! We must prepare!" She pushed the flabbergasted teen out and shut the door, ignoring the pleading cries outside. "Right. Now, I must prepare the food for the ball tonight, Miss Misao. The new leader is very particular about his food choices. And you should prepare yourself now. Shoo! And let me work my magic in here." Her eyes twinkled.

"Thanks so much Tae!" Misao beamed happily at the woman. "I don't know what I'd do without you!" she bounded towards the door.

"Don't worry about it!" Tae waved, and faced her working table, full of vegetables to be chopped, meat to be cooked. She sighed. _This is going to be a long day. _

Misao's head popped up on the side of the doorframe. "Oh yeah, what ARE you going to do for distraction anyway?"

Tae's eyes twinkled yet again. "Oh, you'll see Miss Misao. You'll see."

Misao shrugged, and waved vigorously at Tae, planning and scheming in her head. 

* * *

**__**

Kaoru.

Her beautiful smile, her laughter.

****

Kaoru.

He courage… for being with her friend. For not being afraid around vampires.

****

Kaoru.

Her blue eyes, the eyes that reflect the clear blue skies, full of sun and life… full of love.

****

Kaoru.

Kenshin staggered, his feet stumbling on the thick mud on the path. He was carrying Kaoru, his sweet Kaoru. She was so light… so young. Her beautiful oval face flawless, long lashes creating delicate shadows on her pale cheeks. Her lips were blood red, a heart- shaped creation. Long, lustrous black hair trailed over his arms, almost touching the ground. He stared at her, beautiful… and cold. 

He trudged on. Never mind his wounds, never mind his aching body… he have to bring her to a decent resting-place. As a result of his earlier investigation, he had found out about the old cemetery at the edge of the forbidden forest. And that's where he's heading. 

Finally, vague shadows were seen over the fine mist that covered the area. Headstones of different sizes and shapes protruding from the ground, wild vines twisting around them and filling their cracks. In the far east side was an old mausoleum, the old black stones crumbling in neglect. 

He walked solemnly across the cemetery towards it, cradling the woman in his arms. He entered the dilapidated building, and upon seeing the black marble coffin, laid her body carefully on top of it. He lightly brushed the back of his trembling hand over her pale cheek and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He sighed and collapsed on the floor beside the coffin, staring into space. 

__

She was too innocent, full of energy and life. How could anyone kill her? Destroy her? His amethyst eyes misted over, the surge of emotions welling up inside him. He didn't want to love anyone, knowing that love can turn into hate, and with that, destruction and violence. So he had committed himself into his job. Ever since he was a child, his parents treated him like a tool, something to be used, not loved. He was trained only by the very best… only for the very best. His father was the president of T.H.O.R.N.S., therefore having the great responsibility of creating peace and order, even if it costs his family, his only child. Discipline, control, and power – but never love. 

Sure, he had his share of his women, but they were nothing, him only playing with them, with their feelings. He didn't care. He didn't know how to. He had lived like a robot… until Kaoru came to his life.

She was not really the type one would notice right away. She was quite shy at first, but in actuality, her features were contrast to that. She was lively, warm and loving… his complete opposite. _Maybe that's why I was attracted to her right away. Maybe that's why I loved had fallen in love with her. _Though she had flaws, she had her share of perfection too. For him, she was completely perfect. 

Kenshin brought his knees up and shoved his hands over his head. His first love… too fresh, too recent. He knew that it was too good to be true. This was the consequence of his past. Now he felt what all his victim's loved ones felt… pain and utter despair. He brought his head down to his arms, closing his eyes. 

* * *

A/n: darn… I had to cut it into two chapters. And I SO wanted to get to the… *secret* part. hehehe… Well. Too bad. *shrug*

Gomen ne… I sort of hurried this… I've really got a lot of things in my hands right now so it'll take a while. *sees potato bombs and tomato bazookas bombarding her* noooo!!! 

Well! I'm REALLY REALLY glad of sooo many reviews! Actually, I WAS aiming for thoas kinds of reactions… and I love it! (see how weird she is?) *bonks decent tesuka- chan* Soooo… 

I want to thank the following great reviewers!!!

Chibi-ken14- I'm VERY glad you liked that! I had to do that, it was important for the plot. ~_~ Still, I do hope you don't get TOO depressed… it isn't worth it, you know… hehehe. ^_^

ShadowKat- wow… new _nom de plume_ eh? Nice… isn't that the girl from x-men evolution? Hehehe… oh well. Thanks! I am wicked in nature… bwahaha! Oh, hey, update already!! *pouts*

Argentum Draco: Hehehe… school's really taking much of my time… but I'm going to finish this… soon I hope. Don't worry! 

Noa: Yep… too much angst. That's why a little humor wouldn't hurt, ne? Good thing I got Misao back to her old self… I don't like people wallowing, feeling pitiful and sorry for themselves. Bah. Haha.. at least you read Kaoru's part! ^_^

Me me and only me: glad you find it interesting! Thanks! 

Chibicherry: Whoa! You seem happy enough… wow, you really get some good stuff eh? Hahaha! Good for you then! *grin grin*

JadOo: There will definitely be a comeback. DEFINITELY! *shakes fists in the air* yeah!!! :P

Soul: Errr… ummm… *ponders on question* well, it depends… teeheehee.If I'm evil enough to let Kenshin suffer or make him happy. *shrugs*

Nekonomiko: Misao will not be a damsel in distress any longer! She'll kick ass! Yeah! 

Innocent dreamer: *sighs* I expected as much. Yes, I am evil… isn't it nice? Mwahahaha! I love it! *EVIL grin* 

Sakura: Hey! Thanks… well, Aoshi… hmmm. I'll just have to say… just read 'till the end! I don't want to give anything away. Though, I won't have a sad ending. I hate sad endings. Why? 'coz they're SAD! 

The *Spangled* Pandemonium: Hmm.. I tried to access chapter 18 when I read your review… I couldn't access it too! I re- uploaded it and thankfully, it returned. ^_^ sorry for that. 

Oh… Thanks at the compliment! Though I do prefer writing humor… ^_^ well, I needed Kaoru dead. (boy, does that sound mean) so I killed her off. *sweatdrop* don't worry, all's well that end's well. (I'm not sure if what I typed was right). *shrug*

Cko- hello! Wow… You really read and review huh? Not that I'm complaining, I'm really glad you did. ^_^ Pinay? YEAH! Sorry for hanging it… it was too long already! Hehehe…

Selph: Gomen… it IS because of me! Yeah! Me! *points to self* And I'm really pround of it! *dances around like a lunatic* ß IS a lunatic.

Kmye- chan: Whoa! Cool… I'm really glad you 'clicked' on my story! ^_^ Yeah, I don't really like buffy much. I based this on my super uber duper favorite series, 'the Night World' by L.J. Smith. It's the best ever… ^_^ I love vampires. Hehehe.. and star wars!? Never thought of that… cool. 

NatsuNoAme: Don't worry… you have the right to say those. *beams* I'm not offended… besides, I've got it all mapped out. They won't suffer. Well. They will. But not for long! I hope… errr. It depends on how twisted my mind is when I write a cretain chapter. ^_^

Shadow: let me guess… Boleng. *rolls eyes* I was sooooo annoyed when Rosa started laughing when I told her about the 'creepy-dude-who-reviewed-as-john-rzeznik' Gosh… I was really creeped out! And with the lyrics, no less. BWAHAHAHA! It was a good laugh though… at the end. Don't do that! Or I'll, I'll bonk you in the head! *started bonking boleng until she's unconscious* nyahahaha! That's what you get! Pffft! 

Kats: hmmm… large heavy object? Ahhh… a huge yellow teddy bear? Kawaiii! Haha.. just kidding of course. I expected no less from you! Don't worry… It'll come out okay. Just not yet. ^_^

Crazy lassie from the hills: ah… *sweatdrop* something like that. Well, I will but… not yet! I'm in angsty mode…. *all geared up in black with cool shades from matrix* Oh yeah. 

Isabella: hallo! Hey, I'm Pinay too!!! Astig ba? Hehehe… nakakatawa naman… thanks! ^_^

Misao Shinomori: Hmmm… I also love AXM! (obviously… I wrote a novel, for goodness' sakes!) Yeah… I also like the unexpected. So be ready for more! MWAHAHAHA! Oh, who's the author of those books? I'll check them out if I see them… thanks for reviewing! 

Rosa: Haha! You noticed? Well, I sort of noticed it to but you know me… I love colors! Especially blue, green, and other fascinating eye colors. I'm obsessed!!! MWAHAHA!! You didn't read it? Oh well.. you missed on the drama. Your loss. *evil grin* 

Oh gosh… fingers are red and hurting… these replies alone are two whole pages! *shakes head* but thanks! I'm really glad… it makes me want to cry! But I won't… coz I'm too tired. Wehehe… well, thanks a lot you guyz! Love ya'll! ^_^


	20. Escape!

Author's notes: ALL RIGHT! First time in my years that the school gave only one measly homework!! NYAHAHAHA!!! 

*stares agog at reviews* WHOA! Fast! I just posted it that night and the next day… I couldn't believe it!!! Gosh! YOU GUYS ARE THE BESTEST!!! (eerrr… tesuka- chan, there's no such word…) shuddap! *bonks dictionary conscience* Well, it's not that I wait for lots of reviews before I write… it's just that I need time to organize my thoughts. Thanks guys… you're the best! ^_^

Oh yeah… gomen for the really bad mistakes I made last chappie… I didn't get to proof- read it. ~_~ And being my usual lazy self, I don't really want to re-upload it again.

Well, anyway… I do hope this chapter will be able to explain a lot. Or whatever. (cut the crap, tesuka- chan!) ~_~ All right, all right! Sheesh, makes you think if consciences are any good at all. Well, enjoy! ^_^ 

Disclaimer: I'm on a roll here, so don't bother me disclaimer boy! (disclaimer boy pokes on tesuka) d'arvit!!! *sigh* I. Do. Not. Own. Rurouni. Kenshin. Period.

Oh yeah… and "Name" by Googoo dolls. *faints with hearts on eyes* 

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

__

"Hey! Stop dragging! Where are we going anyway?" 

Megumi paused, hands on knees, her hair damp because of the fog around them. She took a long, steadying breath and straightened up. _I haven't eaten in ages! Ooohh, when I get my hands on him I'll…_

"Come on, inside here…" Sano entered the small building, stomping and shivering. _Boy, these fogs are too cold for my taste. _"Well? Aren't you coming in?"

"This is very unsanitary Sano. You'll never know what kinds of different bacteria are cultivated here! Among the dead, the dirt and the – " Megumi gasped as she caught sight of the figure on top of the coffin. _Oh no… what or who is that? Is she dead? _

__

"And even though the moment passed me by  
I still can't turn away  
I saw the dreams you never thought you'd lose  
Tossed along the way  
Letters that you never meant to send  
Are lost and blown away"  


"What is it? What's wrong?" Sano stopped blowing on his hands and followed Megumi's gaze. His eyes narrowed and his body tensed. "I've never seen that before." He carefully took a step towards it. Suddenly, he saw a movement beside the coffin, a huddled form swathed in black clothes and… _blood?_

He called out tentatively, ready for any surprises. "Who's there?"

The questionable form moved and lifted his head. Purple eyes. 

"Kenshin?" Sano asked incredulously. He looked so pathetic, like the saddest man on earth. _Heart- broken._

"And now we've grown up orphans I never knew their names  
We don't belong to no one, that's a shame  
You could hide beside me, maybe for awhile  
And I won't tell no one your name  
I won't tell your name"  


"Hey, man! What are you doing here? What happened to you?" Sano approached him and kneeled in front of the spaced out man. "Hey…" He put a hand on his shoulder. 

The vampire heard a gasp behind him. He turned around, seeing Megumi sobbing over the figure on the marble.

Megumi couldn't, wouldn't accept it. _This can't be happening… it's not real!_ Her hand shook as she reached out to touch the long cold fingers of the woman. _No…_ She studied the face, that face which had formed into many different silly expressions and those eyes, which lightened up every time they were together. She clasped both hands as her brain finally accepted it. "KAORU!" Her knees gave way and she kneeled on its side, weeping for her friend. 

Sano's eyes widened. _No way. _He hastily stood up and observed the figure lying on the cover of the coffin. _Jou- chan. It can't be. It just can't be! _His eyes full of hurt and anger, he went to Kenshin and started to shake him. "What the hell happened?" He shook the smaller man even more, not being able to hide his frustration. _This is it… this takes the cake away. Whoever did this is going to pay, big time. _"Why is Kaoru lying there.. is- is she dead?!"

__

"The scar's a souvenir she'd never lose  
The past is never far  
And did you lose yourself somewhere out there  
Did you get to be a star  
Don't it make you sad to know that life  
Is more than who we are"

Kenshin didn't answer, his eyes glassy. He didn't feel Sano shaking him, didn't see Megumi's tears over her dead friend. _Yes, she's dead. I should've saved her… but I'm too late. It's all my fault. _He continued staring into nothingness. 

Sano slumped down to the floor, shoulders shaking. Kami- sama… how he hates it when things like these happens. He shoved his hand in his hair, trying to grasp his self- control, or what was left of it. 

Megumi dried her tears, finally accepting her friend's death. "Rest in peace, Kamiya Kaoru. You lived a great life." _I'll be strong for you, Kaoru. You wouldn't want us to be like this… I'll be strong. _She stood up, a bit shaky, but managed to reach Kenshin. "Let me see your wounds." 

He didn't move.

"Come on, they're bleeding. They should be tended." The lady doctor took his arm, but it slumped back down. "You have to cooperate with me here… you're still alive and you have to keep living."

"I'd rather be dead."

__

"You grew up way too fast  
Now there's nothing to believe  
The reruns all become my history"

Annoyed and angry at him for giving up so easily, she slapped him. 

Kenshin's head was flung to his side, a red mark forming at the side of his cheek. 

"See here Kenshin, or whatever your name is, you're not the only one who loved Kaoru. She was one of my best friends, for goodness' sakes, and I'm also sad at our loss. But I think that she wouldn't want us to mope around here, feeling sorry for ourselves. We should be strong, just like her. So snap out of it and let me see your wounds." Megumi almost shouted every word, she was THAT angry. 

"Megitsune's right." Sano pitched in after her little 'pep talk'. "We shouldn't feel sorry of ourselves." He stood up and started tapping the walls. "I'm going to look for that portal. At least I'd be doing something." 

Kenshin let Megumi's words penetrate his mind as the doctor fixed up his nearly- fatal wounds. '_We should be strong, just like her'. _Those words echoed in his mind. _'she wouldn't want us to mope around here, feeling sorry for ourselves.' _They swirled around and around his head, making him choose, making him realize. His eyes cleared as he made a decision. 

__

"A tired song keeps playing on a tired radio  
And I won't tell no one your name  
And I won't tell your name"  


As Megumi finished bandaging him, Kenshin stood and walked towards the crypt. He once again touched her face, caressing the cold, tender skin. _I vow to you… I'll never kill again. _He cupped her chin, and closed his eyes. _Never. _

__

"I won't tell your name…"

A soft breeze seeped in the cracks of the mausoleum. It moved silently around the room, swirling around the floor, making the dust rise up and surround the marble crypt and the red-haired man. Amber orbs flashed… and the wind made a final swirl and flew up and out. Megumi and Sano were silent, watching the display in front of them, witnesses to the promise. Witnesses to a love that will last. Even through death.

__

"I think about you all the time  
But I don't need to think  
If it's lonely where you are, come back down  
And I won't tell your name."

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ 

He slid his hand out and turned to Sano, rather solemnly. "So what's your plan now? The castle is under siege and they've closed the portal."

Sano smirked. _Well now, look who's risen up from the dead. _"Heh… I'm looking for something… it must be here somewhere… aha! Now I remember!" He pushed an inconspicuous panel somewhere in the side o f the wall. _I remember accidentally leaning here then the wall opens…_

The wall on the left side of the coffin slid open, loose stones falling on the floor, dust and grime flying everywhere. 

Sano gloated. _Hahaha! I'm so good. _He grinned, rather pleased with himself.

Megumi sputtered and coughed. "This had better be good." She mumbled, and upon clearing the air in front of her, she stared, curiosity and a feeling of strangeness overcoming her. _What… a mirror? _"We came all this way for a mirror?! A MIRROR?" Megumi bonked Sano on the head. 

"Watch it, kitsune!" The tall vampire rubbed his head and sighed, knowing that he'll never win over her. "THAT's the portal." 

The lady doctor narrowed her eyes, head cocked on one side, hands on her hips. Her dainty toes were tapping on the marble floor. "Oh REALLY?"

"Yes, really." Sano grinned slyly. Suddenly, he heard a vague sound of hooves pounding in the distance. _Shit… they're looking for us already. _He glanced over to Kenshin… he heard it too. Megumi wasn't able to sense it because of her annoyance over Sano. Then he had an idea. 

"Don't believe me?" in a flash, he moved in front of the girl and held her tiny waist in his huge hands. "After you!" He flung her towards the huge mirror. 

__

AAAAAAHHHHHH!!! SANOWHENIGETMYHANDSONYOU,YOU'DBETTERBEDEAD! AAAAHHHHHH!!!! Megumi fell in an endless void, reflections all around her. She shut her eyes tight, clinging to nothing. 

* * *

__

Okay… this is the part when I yawn. Misao yawned, rather unashamedly. _Hmmm… I wonder when Tae is going to execute her plan… _She thought of different ways how Tae could distract Shiro and everyone else in the room. _Poison, maybe? Nah… too suspicious. How about setting the kitchen on fire? I don't think she'll sacrifice her dear kitchen. I know! She'll probably make all of them drunk! Yeah… _Misao nodded, satisfied with the conclusion she was able to come up. _That's the most likely thing she'll do. _

Misao was sitting on the main table, beside Shiro. He had wanted her near him so that he'll be able to watch her all the time. The woman shuddered in disgust. _Peh! Total creep. _She straightened her dark green silk dress, simply adorned with white pearls at the neck. The long sleeves were flared at her wrists, but tied tightly at the elbow with a thin ribbon. The beautiful gown showed her curves, hugging her tiny waist and then flowing freely down to her ankles. _Darn it… I don't know how I'm going to run in this get up but I have too. Good thing there's no high heels here. _She shifted uncomfortably as a particularly obese man waddled over to her. _Ewww… they're worse than cocroaches! Slimier, browner, and… much more gross! _Just as she was about to make a lame excuse, the lights faded and only the chandelier by the left wall was lighted. _Hmmm… this is interesting. I wonder… _

Suddenly, the curtains opened and a girl in a beautiful red kimono stepped out, fan covering her face. She bowed daintily forward as the audience clapped. Two figures were vaguely seen weaving in and out of the tables, pouring sake on the people's cups. 

Misao sat back, amused. _Entertainment at last! I never knew they were planning this. _She clapped along with the others, waiting for the show to start. Then, a figure brushed past her, whispering a message. "Go now. We'll take care of this." 

The girl's eyes widened. _So this is the distraction? Too bad I'll miss it… looks like Tsubame's going to perform well. Though, she looks a bit too stiff for me. _She shrugged. _Nerves, I guess. _She prepared herself, waited until Shiro drank from his cup. 

"Ano, Shiro, I must go to the ladies room. Will you excuse me?" Shiro just laughed, along with the others on the table, and waved her away. Misao smiled. Whatever Tae put in that wine, it worked really good. 

She hurriedly stood up and walked swiftly to the side of the hall. _I've got to hurry! Aoshi might be in danger… _Thinking these thoughts, she never saw the small figure speeding towards her. 

Impact. *BUMP!*

__

OOOOOWWWWWW!!!! Misao reeled back, more from the shock than from anything else. She bit her lip, trying not to shout out. _Shoot! Please… don't let it be one of those damned soldiers… _

"Misao-san! Are you okay?" A girl's voice whispered on her ear. "I'm really sorry… I needed to get more formu – I mean, sake from the kitchen. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

A bit ruffled, Misao replied, "N-no… I'm okay." She remembered that voice. "Tsubame? Is that you?"

The girl's head nodded. "Are you sure you're okay, Misao- san? I can get ice for you."

"No thanks… I have to go." Misao stood up, her legs wobbly. Then a realization came to her. "Hey, if you're Tsubame, then who's performing there?"

Tsubame stifled a giggle. "It's Yahiko. I had to bully, bribe, threaten and trick him just to make him do it. He doesn't know how to hold tables… he might spill all of the sake anyway because of his clumsiness. So Tae-san and I taught him a bit of simple dances."

__

YAHIKO? DANCING?! IN A GIRL'S KIMONO?!! Misao's face turned red, and she had to clamp her hand on her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. _Oh geesh… if I live through this, I'm never going to stop teasing him. Hahaha!!! _

Tsubame began to worry. Misao-san's face was reddening and her hand's over her mouth. _Is she suffocating? Oh no! _Her hands flew to her face in dismay. "Misao- san! Misao- san! Are you all right?" she whispered fervently.

The woman let out a few coughs, calming herself. _Oh kami- sama, thank you for friends like these. _"Yeah, I'm okay." It came out hoarse so she cleared her throat. "I really have to go. I've got to find him… I've got to find Aoshi."

Tsubame sighed. She's safe after all. "Go now then, Misao- san. I still have to make everyone drink the sake so they won't realize you've gone after a long time. Good luck."

She turned away, but a hand squeezed her shoulder. 

"Take care, all of you." Misao whispered. Tsubame nodded. The two parted their separate ways. 

* * *

Yahiko covered a sneeze as he turned to the music once more. _I am definitely allergic to these damned make-up! This is the most humiliating thing I've ever done in my whole, short life. That weasel girl should appreciate what I'm doing for her! _He winced as a couple of rough boys began leering at him, shouting and clapping. _Damn. Screw it… I'm gonna get her for this when she comes back. _He made a twirl, then bowed. 

He almost toppled over.

* * *

Misao ran through the dark passages, her mind memorizing the instructions that Tae gave her. _Turn left at the stairway, straight… and right by the garden door. _She pushed the heavy iron door and rushed outside. She looked up and saw the stars glittering in the sky, not a cloud to be seen. _How beautiful. _Her blue- green gaze lingered there, but eventually swept across the field in front of her and stopped on the thin line of trees just beyond the field. She narrowed her eyes, hiked up her skirts, and ran towards it. _I'm coming, Aoshi- sama. Wait for me…_

The Forbidden Forest. 

* * *

A/n: I know, I know… this is shorter than the previous chapters… but hey! This was supposed to be part of the last chapter. I just had to cut it or else it might reach up to 30 pages! Now we don't want that… ^_^

Hahaha… shock for Yahiko? Well… I'm a meanie, as I've always said. Let's just call that.. comic relief. ^_^ *evil grin* 

Oh yeah… totally love the Googoo dolls!! Hope most of you knew the song! Even if you didn't, the lyrics fit in that particular scene really well… real angsty. MWAHAHA!! 

So, as I've said before, you guys are really great!!! ^_^ So I just want to say thanks for the following reviewers: *grins from ear to ear* 

Laie Himura de Fanel: cool name! Ahhh.. well, it's too late to undo what's been done…. but don't worry! Something's gonna happen that you have to watch out for. *evil grin*

Selph: Ahhh… just read on. ^_^ thanks for reading and supporting!

Nekonomiko: Yeah, well, it's misao's time!!! NYAHAHA! And yes, I'm planning to write another fic., after this of course. It'll branch out from this one. ^_^ Well, I'll see if WILL be able to write it. Hehehe.

Darkfairy: Oh, so that's why! Cool! ^_^ Go pinoy! Yeah! Hehehe… I've got the Pinoy spirit. *puts on shades* oh yeah. Well, more angst to come!!! ^_^

Prudence- chan: whoa! Well… I'm really flattered! Thanks so much! I can't believe you read it all! ^_^ I really think my story doesn't deserve that… hahaha! ^_^

Makimachi Misao: well, yeah. Of course you'll catch him! Hahaha! Not after some very good angst… hehehe… thanks for supporting! 

Chibi-ken14- well, I like putting a bit of humor in my fic! It lightens the plot. Nyeheheh. I hope this made you laugh! Oh, I'm not gonna give spoilers about Kaoru. If there are. Haha! *evil*

Sakura: thanks a lot! ^_^ well, I updated faster this time, this is quite a short chapter, but the next will be my masterpeice! MWAHAHAHA! Watch out for that! 

Argentum Draco: Oh God. I was laughing my head off about that old and dead bit. HAHAHA! Don't worry… it's here! Hoped you like it! ^_^

Diablo: thanks for reading all the same! :P

Rosa: Yey! Luv ya for supporting me… but, well, it is just for fun. And guess what… Camry's considering me a riival. *gah* whatever… hahaha! Like I can compete against her! Haha!

Fey2Kim: hehehe… about the mood thing, is that good or bad? *whimpers* hehehe… thanks! Oh, kenshin's not a vamp… hehehe. ^_^

Neko-chan: Oh so YOU'RE the stalker across the street… hahaha! Jke! ^_^ thanks a lot for reading!

The *Spangled* Pandemonium: Well, just wait and see… MWAHAHAHA! 

JadOo: No… he's not. well. So there! Hehe… thanks! 

Chibicherry: ooohhh. So you're kind of depressed? I'm really sorry for adding to that… hope this'll make you happier! Haha! ^_^

Innocent Dreamer: Ahhhh… *secret*

Phoe2k: wellll.. yeah, it WAS camry. Hehehe. Well, I like your story, really funny. Hahaha! Thanks for reviewing! Though it might suck a bit. Hahaha! (pa- humble effect daw).

Misao Silent-mode – I'm really glad you liked my story! ^_^ Well, I totally love vampires and rurouni kenshin… heehee… so it's not bad to combine them, eh? Hahaha!

NatsuNoAme: Well, they escaped! So that's good, right? Hehehe.. well, thanks for reading! ^_^

Megamunch16: yep! I'll finish this for sure… thanks for reading! ^_^

AAAHHHHH!!! I'm really rushing this… sorry!! Well, gonna watch "Smallville" (clark's hot!!!) so I gotta go! Watch out for the next chapter! Gonna be the best, I assure you… mwahahaha!!! ^_^ Ja! Please read and review! ^_^

P.S. Oh… if you really want to enjoy the next chapter fully… well, listen to **"The Scientist" By Coldplay**. *grins* 


	21. So near, yet so far

Author's notes: Well, here it is! The chapter you've all been waiting for!!! *tantantantaaaann!!!* Well, maybe not you, but I've been working towards this event for the longest time! MWAHAHAHA!!! ^_^ And frankly, me dears, I don't really have any concrete plans after this chapter. I guess I'll finish this off quickly after this. *shrugs*

Anywho… I'm guessing you peeps will probably kill me again after this. *counts fingers* What, for the umpteenth time? Geesh. Good thing I'm immortal *grins evilly, showing fangs* Hint: Well, Misao will – HAHA! NO WAY! 

Oh yeah, thanks guys! WAIIII!!! I'm sooo happy about the reviews! 300! *sob sob* luv ya'll! *grin*

Oh, this chapter is STRICTLY Misao and Aoshi. *yay!* 

*sighs* Okay… so without further ado, here's chapter… uhh… 21! (hehehe… I lose count)

Disclaimer: Give me a break, will yeah! This is the prime, the total climax! (well, not exactly according to strict meaning) So I want this to be mine! ALL MINE!!! *MUAHAHAHA!!* (disclaimer boy holds a gun) all right, all right, no need to get violent. Ahehehe. They're not mine. ^_^ Except the plot… no stealing of individual ideas please! OOOPPPSS! I don't own **The Scientist** by **Coldplay.** ^_^

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

__

The Forbidden Forest

The moon was high in the sky, glowering red. The sky was clear, few stars dotting the dark horizon. Nothing stirred, nothing moved… except the small figure running across the field, green silk flowing behind her, dark hair unbraided. The pale light from the moon emphasized her skin, flushed with excitement, fear, and apprehension. Shallow breathing, eyes frantic – an electric blue. She ran, ran for life, for love.

Misao reached the first line of trees and stopped, catching her breath. She looked at the tall, intimidating twisted branches and roots the size of a truck. She shivered and held her wrap tighter around her, staring into the impending darkness ahead. 

__

Darn. Do I have to go IN there? 

An owl hooted. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could see creepy crawlers making their way on the forest ground, sixteen legs simultaneously moving upward a branch, hairy bodies squirming here and there. She could just make out a blood- thirsty bat snatching an insect in mid-air. Turning her head to the left, she swore she saw red beady eyes blinking at her and vanished quickly into the shadowy corners.

She gulped.

__

I can do this… I can do this. It's just a forest, for crying out loud! You're bigger than those creepy what-nots and nobody's gonna stop you from reaching Aoshi-sama. She exhaled and stood straight, her right hand clasping unconsciously the amber pendant. _All right then! I'm going in! _Afterone last look at the castle behind her, she marched into the woods, determined.

The branches of the trees closed the narrow opening behind her. 

Misao almost hyperventilated. _Geesh, what is this? The Lord of the Rings? Snap out of it! Ents AREN'T real. _Gulping again, throat dry, she picked her way around the trees. 

Surprisingly, there were hardly any bushes around… just some soft grass and moss that covered the ground. The tall trees swayed, and little droplets of water and dew rained down on her. Moonlight suddenly penetrated through the thick foliage, shining on the falling rain, making it appear like precious crystals and diamonds lighting up the darkness. 

__

Wow… this is really beautiful. Misao had a little smile on her face, her eyes shining. She held out her hand and caught them, a pool of crystal clear water forming on her palm. She looked at her reflection and saw a woman, a beautiful wood nymph aglow with love and strength. _I've never seen myself this way before. I… I actually look beautiful. Matured… I'm not a child anymore. _For a second,her eyes in the reflected water turned wholly green with specks of gold. She shook her head and dropped her hand, silvery liquid falling to the ground. _This place is doing weird stuff in my brain. _She walked on. 

__

I'm coming, Aoshi- sama. Wait for me.

Red beady eyes followed her every move.

~~~

__

Come up to meet you

Tell you I'm sorry

You don't know how lovely

You are

~~~

He was so hungry… so very hungry. It has been days… weeks? He'd lost count. There was not one animal left in this forest… except little critters. _We hunted all of them down… not caring if we'd lose our supply. _He shifted, his head leaning back against a huge tree root. _I don't think I'll be able to survive any longer._

The man was sitting inside a cave-like hole on the roots of the tree. His face was pale, sweaty. Blue- green eyes were misty and dark. His body was trembling from hunger, from the lack of nourishment for the last few days. He had tried meditating and controlling the hunger pangs that comes every now and then, but he was getting weaker. He had been eating small mammals, mostly rats and bats, but it was not enough. Especially after the attack the other day, when he had lost much blood and his immune system was getting slower. 

Aoshi shifted, eyes looking upward. There was a little clearing above him, just enough to let him see a patch of sky, dotted with stars. They remind him of his Misao, shining and giving hope. He smiled- a real genuine smile. He truly missed her, her smile, her laughter, her strength. He would've done anything for her… and now she's on the hands of the enemies. 

Aoshi sighed and called upon sleep… the darkness that will make him forget. The blissful darkness that will make him forget the hardships he's going through now… the pain of Misao's memory. _There's no hope… There's no chance... I should just accept it…_

Darkness overcame him.

~~~

__

I have to find you

Tell you I need you

Tell you I set you

Apart

~~~

I really can't understand myself, Misao mused, stepping over a boulder. _How come I didn't realize that I love Aoshi since… well, before? It was staring right at me. _She sighed and looked for a place to rest. _I was stupid… so stupid. And stubborn. _A worried look creased her features. _What if I can't tell him? What if I can't find him?_

What if I'm too late?

The woman shook her head, banishing the thoughts that plague her troubled mind. _Stop being pessimistic. I'm not like that. _

Misao paused and sat on top of a branch.

__

Oh gosh… my feet are killing me. She took off her slippers and massaged her feet. _Haaaa… nice. _She leaned back, her head resting on the tree trunk. She stared at a small clearing between the branches and leaves above her and saw the sky dotted with stars. _Beautiful. I wonder if Aoshi- sama can also see this. _She decided to rest a moment longer, and eventually, her eyes fluttered close.

* * *

*THUD!*

"OW!"

Misao stood up rather shakily, head throbbing. _Wha- where am I? _Then she remembered her quest in finding Aoshi. _Darn! I fell asleep! _She looked around. _Hey, wasn't I supposed to be on top of a branch? Why am I on the ground? _She looked up. _Oh. _She rubbed her behind. _I fell. Geesh… how careless. _

The petite woman leaned against the tree trunk, checking if any bone is broken. _Looks like I'm intact… so far so good! _She shook her dress, shaking off the leaves and dirt. _I have to be careful next time… though I couldn't imagine how I fell. That was a pretty big branch… as wide as the king- size bed in the castle! _

Misao looked up, checking the sky if it's morning already. Bright stars twinkled right back at her. _Oh good… I just took a nap. _She then turned towards what she thinks is north and… 

"AAAAAHHH!!!"

She fell back, her bottom hitting the soft, mossy ground.

The stunned woman didn't feel the pain that's slowly throbbing on her back, didn't realize that she's sitting at the forest floor. Her whole concentration is centered on the apparition front of her… _A- a… GHOST! _

The silvery, almost transparent, figure shimmered as a soft breeze brushed past by. Suspended in the air, her long, white hair flowed down to her waist, simple pale robes swaying. Her beautiful face was eternally sorrowful, her eyes… frozen in time. _Icy blue._

Misao couldn't speak. 

The beautiful being lowered herself to ground level and faced speechless woman. She reached out a hand and spoke in Misao's thoughts.

__

'Be strong.'

Misao finally snapped out of her stupefied state. "Wha- what?"

__

'This is a dangerous place. You must be strong.'

"I- I know that. But I came here to look for someone. I have to look for him."

The ghost slowly inclined her head, nodding. _'Ah, yes. Sacrifice. Sacrifices must be made for love.'_

"Well, yes. That's what love is all about, isn't it?" The fear was slowly ebbing away from Misao's system. _She doesn't look threatening. She looks… sad._ _Full of sorrow. She's endured it before. _She suddenly realized. _Having to sacrifice for a loved one. _

__

'Yes. It is.' Her eyes misted over, remembering memories of long ago. Then she turned her pale face towards the woman sitting down on the forest floor. She kneeled gracefully in front of her, whole being shimmering in the darkness. Ivory hands flew down to Misao's own, surprisingly warm and comforting. 

Ocean blue met Icy azure.

__

'But you will have to make the greatest sacrifice of all. He is waiting… sorrowful and weakening. Go.'

Misao's head was spinning. _He's still alive! Aoshi's waiting for me… _"Where? Please, please tell me… I- I have to know." Hope and love shone in her eyes. 

__

'He is near. Waiting.' 

She floated away, arms outstretched. Fading… fading to oblivion. _'Waiting.' _

"Wait! Please!" Misao shot up, running after the waning figure. "Please, tell me more…" 

The ghost vanished.

~~~

__

Tell me your secrets

And ask me your questions

Oh, let's go back to 

The start

~~~

__

What did she mean by me making 'the greatest sacrifice of all'? And where is Aoshi? Misao mused as she slowed to a walk. There's no point in running anymore. She doesn't know where to go. She's lost.

A small clearing surrounded by trees caught her attention. She went towards it, curious and interested. _Why is there a small clearing here? _She observed the barren ground, dry and ashen brown. Not a speck of grass, nor any kind of plant for that matter. _That's weird… nothing's growing in this part of the forest. _She walked in the middle of the circle and raised her eyes. _A red moon. _That had somehow gave her the shivers. _How… intimidating. _She put her arms around herself, suddenly feeling cold. She started moving out of the clearing, when…

A pair of red eyes blinked back at her from the darkness within.

She backed right up, returning in the center. _Oh no… what have I gotten myself into this time? _

"You… have desecrated our sacred ground…" The voice was so abstruse that Misao had barely caught the words. 

__

What?! Oh… I should've known… this place seemed too suspicious. Argh… damn me and my stupidity. "I- I'm really sorry… I didn't realize that – "

"The punishment is DEATH!" The gruff voice announced loudly and gave a howl. The howl of a wolf.

Many pairs of red eyes surrounded the clearing, surrounding the stunned figure in the center of the sacred ground. One by one, they came out to the light, their lithe bodies moving gracefully, muscles and furs rippling in their movements. Their ferocious teeth glistened under the light of the moon, saliva dripping on the sides of their mouth. The first was as black as night… the leader of the pack of werewolves. 

Misao shivered with a mixture of terror and disgust. _Oh no… I should've gotten at least one weapon from the castle… what to do?_

The werewolf pulled back his mouth – _is he grinning? – _and looked her over. "We haven't come upon a fresh morsel like you for a long time." _Oh Kami- sama… he is grinning! That's the creepiest grin I've ever seen! _

"Hey boss… there was that one guy from the other day, wasn't it?" A smaller, brown- furred one suddenly butted in. "He looked good too… too bad he got away." 

The captive did a double take. _He? That must be Aoshi! He got away…I've got to… _she looked around, looking for an escape. A boulder near a particularly huge tree caught her attention. Something sparked in her eyes.

"Silence!" the leader shouted. The follower whimpered. "He just got lucky… but he's not going to stay lucky for long." His eyes glinted evilly.

__

Oh no… they're hunting him! I've got to go find him already… face grim and determined, Misao shouted. "You can't eat me. You're just a bunch of cowards. I've already said I'm sorry but you stubborn headed asses doesn't understand that, does it?" _That should do it. Unless they're a really stupid bunch of creatures. _

A low growl reached her ears. 

~~~

__

Running in circles

Coming in tales  
Heads are a science 

Apart  
  
~~~

They moved towards her, slowly, purposely. She retreated back, trying to get to the boulder as near as possible. They were a lot, furs shining under the red glow of the moon, making them look like dried blood. All of them stopped, making low growling noises. 

A few seconds passed, silence filling the air. 

The leader of the pack lunged towards her. 

Anticipating this move, Misao flipped back, jumping towards the boulder. The wolf slashed his sharp claws at her in mid- jump, tearing her skin on the arms. The ninja landed on her feet, on top of the boulder. She immediately clutched her arm, blood rapidly gushing out. She eyed the running wolves. _No time to bandage this… _She jumped, yet again, and clung to the thick branches of the huge tree behind the boulder. She had hardly pulled herself up when a claw slashed on her silk dress. 

__

Oh shoot… she heaved herself up, thankful that her legs are still intact even though the skirt was slashed up to the knees, tattered. _Drat it. _She saw more of them coming, leaping from one low branch to another, trying to reach her. _I have to go now… run! _

Breathing heavily and trying to ignore the pain that shot up her arm, she jumped from one thick branch to another, and making sure that she's safely out of sight, she jumped down on the ground, and ran… ran with the devil fast on her heels. 

~~~

__

Nobody said it was easy

It's such a shame for us to part…

~~~

They were gaining on her, smelling her out. She was weakening, losing so much blood. She had to get going… she had to. 

"Darn it all," she shivered. Looking like a drowned rat dressed in a green tattered dress caked with blood, her long black hair plastered to her face and neck and a trickle of blood running down her face, her blue eyes scanned more of the dense forest in front of her. To make matters worse, the rain started pouring hard and the night sky is ominously dark and eerie, with no light whatsoever, the clouds covering the red moon. 

"Okay, where to now?" She sighed.

"Hey," a low rough voice shouted, not too far behind her, "where's that human?"

"She's here somewhere… I can smell her." Another voice rasped out.

"Yes… fresh blood. Nothing's better than fresh blood."

Misao held her breath. She silently crept farther from them, and then broke into a fast run. She stumbled, but got up again. The soft padding of running feet can be heard. She ran again, no knowing where to go, not caring. They're getting closer.

~~~

__

Nobody said it was easy

No one ever said it would be this hard

Oh take me back to the start. 

~~~

They had fallen back again. 

Misao, tired and shaking, found a place to rest under a large tree root, which formed sort of a cave. It gave her shelter from the hard pounding of the rain, and she also hoped that it would keep her safe until she bandaged her wound. 

She tore off a piece of her already tattered gown and bound her wound tightly. _It's tattered already… wouldn't make any difference. _She sighed and fell back in exhaustion, the events of the day taking their toll on her. _I didn't know it was this hard… I was too optimistic. Now I wonder if I would ever find Aoshi- sama… _

Her blank gaze settled on the darkness outside, rain and thunder reigning the skies. A single tear traveled down her cheeks. _I don't think I can take this anymore… I'm sorry… _

"Aoshi… Aoshi- sama." She whispered, her lidded eyes heavy with fatigue, her body limped, weary.

~~~

__

I was just guessing

Numbers and figures

Pulling your puzzles 

Apart

__

Questions of science

Science and progress

Do not speak as loud as 

My heart

~~~

A shimmering figure hovered above the tree root, looking sorrowfully at the slumbering beauty, barely hanging on to life. 

__

'I am sorry.' She placed her palm on Misao's cold cheek, and drew back. _'It is necessary. You have to find out for yourself." _

A cold wind blew, fluttering the white robes of the forlorn woman. She floated gently away, towards the pack of werewolves waiting for her at the clearing.

"My… lady…" The gruff voice of the leader spoke. "We have done what you will. We have driven her to that place." 

__

'Thank you. You have done well.' She placed her hand on the wolf's head. _'You will be rewarded by my husband.' _

All in the pack bowed and paid their respect to the goddess. "We are glad to serve you." 

Then they left.

The lone woman stood in the middle of barren clearing, a thin film of dust swirling around her. She raised her arms above her head, her icy blue eyes flashing. 

__

'It is time, my daughter.'

The wind whipped around her then wove through the forest. 

~~~

__

And tell me you love me

Come back and haunt me

Oh and I rush to the start

~~~

A huge oak tree can be found in the middle of the forbidden forest. It is the most gigantic of trees, planted at the beginning of time, when the world was created, when the sun shone its first ray of sunlight. It is holiest of all places, creating a certain aura around the place, neither good nor evil.

On its north, a hungry man slept on its cave- like roots, seeking fulfillment and hope, but only finding despair.

On its south, a woman lay wounded, seeking the love that is lost, but only finding pain. 

Both lay on the same tree, sheltered in the same roots. But none knowing about the other. 

Both so near, yet so far. 

~~~

__

Running in circles

Chasing tails

And coming back

As we are

~~~

Aoshi's eyes fluttered open.

__

Did anyone call my name? 

Then he remembered. He had dreamed of Misao calling his name… _'Aoshi- sama…'_

He slowly sat up and tried to stand, but he fall back down, his head whirling and his eyes blurred. _So hungry…_

He examined his previous wounds, the wounds that were inflicted by those werewolves. Most of the minor cuts and bruises had healed while he slept, but the huge gash on his side need little more time. _Especially without my getting blood. _He stood up, carefully this time, and leaned heavily on the huge root beside him. He panted, realizing just now that every action he makes takes a lot of effort. _Darn…_

Then it came to him

The sweet smell of fresh blood.

The vampire's eyes glazed over, flashing silver, truly becoming animalistic in his nature. His heightened senses bade him to follow that smell… that sweet smell of life, of blood. 

Aoshi stumbled on, not caring for his wounds, that urge, that primal hunger egging him on. He recklessly jumped over the small roots and circled the tree, following the smell. He can't control it anymore, the hunger was so great… so new to him. _I can't… I have to…_

Then he saw it. The figure was lying on the ground, dressed in green tattered clothes. He couldn't see what kind of creature it was… he was so hungry that his eyes blurred. He almost fainted as a small breeze wafted the smell of blood to him. He cautiously kneeled over the body and held its shoulders in his trembling hands. His fangs grew.

He was so hungry… so very hungry.

__

The hell with moral values. 

He didn't care anymore.

__

I'd die if I didn't take a bite… 

He just wanted to fill that emptiness inside…

__

I'll become strong again… and go back for Misao.

He bit. 

~~~

__

Nobody said it was easy

Oh it's such a shame for us to part…

~~~

A flash of blinding pain.

Misao's huge blue eyes flew open, pain and fear overcoming her. Somebody, or something, was biting her, drawing out more of her blood… making her weaker. She lifted her right arm and touched the creature's body, trying to protest, trying to stop it. 

The creature lifted its head.

Misao gasped. 

__

Aoshi… Aoshi- sama. 

The vampire was equally surprised and stunned beyond words. He had drunk his fill and had not meant to continue but he couldn't stop… it was so sweet, the blood, the smell… he was drunk with it. And now, now that some semblance of his senses came back to him, he had felt the gentle pushing of the hand and had paused, rather hesitantly, and saw burning sapphires. 

__

No… 

It can't be…

Misao. 

~~~

__

Nobody said it was easy

No one ever said it would be so hard

I'm going back to the start

~~~

"A- Aoshi- sama…" 

Misao was able to say that out loud. She smiled. A small, beautiful smile. She lifted her right hand, being that it was the only one that didn't hurt much, and slowly caressed the left cheek of the horrified vampire. "I'm so glad… you're safe." She whispered to him.

"Misao… no… it can't be you… Misao!" Aoshi was suddenly stunned out of his stupor with the soft caress. For the second time in a long time, tears formed in his eyes and fell on the ground. His voice was frantic, despair filling every corner of his soul. "Misao… please, hold on, hold on… I'm so sorry… so very sorry… I can still save you, make you a vampire…" his eyes were panicking. He doesn't know what to do.

The woman in his arms coughed out and breathed shallow breaths. "No… it's too late for me already." She raised her blue eyes to his face, at last, showing emotion, showing the pain. "Don't. Don't be sorry. I- I'm not… I'm glad I helped." She reached out and touched her index finger to his trembling lips. "I- I just came to say… that I… that I…"

Tears blinded Aoshi's vision. He shook them off. He caught her wrist to his hand, kissing her hand fervently, desperately. He can't lose her… the only one… the only one in his life… the only one he loved.

"Aoshi… I love you." 

With that, he kissed her. He kissed her with all his passion, his love, his soul. He felt her respond feebly, and he kissed her more gently… the sweetest kiss. He couldn't lose her, couldn't let her go. He just can't. He slightly lifted his head, and said with all his passion, "I love you too, my Misao." 

She smiled up at him, tears in her eyes. _He loved me too. With all his heart… he meant it. _He kissed her yet again… but she didn't kiss him back. She didn't respond… never again. Her hand fell over the glittering amber pendant… over her heart.

"MISAO!"

He let the tears fall. Every inch of his soul was devoted to Misao… and now that she's gone, what will he do? And he killed her. That was the worst blow of all. He goddamned killed her.

Him. 

His eyes glittered dangerously silver, hands formed into fists.

Someone's going to pay. The root of all these pain, this fury that's building up inside him. The one who started this. The one who took everything away from him. His mother, his father, and now Misao. 

__

SHIRO. 

* * *

A/n: Oh gosh, that was intense! Somewhere in the middle there, I sort of… errmm… emoted. Wehehehe. I never knew that authors could cry over their own work. Well, ALMOST cried. *sniff* 

So how did you find it? *grins while frantically packing up some survival stuff that's she's going to carry for the flight to the moon* ahhhh… well, ehehehe. *smiles innocently*

So I guess you figure out that the 'ghost' is Misao's long lost mother, right? Oh, you didn't know? Well, now you know. And the chasing part… looks familiar? I patterned it after the first chapter, if ya'll recall. I sort of wanted a parallelism between the movie and what Misao's going through. (ugh. Am sounding like lit teacher. Bah.) Anyway… I'm soooo haapppyyyy!!!! I like the way this chapter turned out… though it's the longest ever!!!! Wahahaha!!! *grins evilly* 

__

YAY! YAY! Thanks for the following terrific reviewers!!! ^_^

Kmye- chan: wahahaa! So what do you think? errr… For the Yahiko part, added that 'coz I wanted to lighten things up. EVERYONE was like… "YOU KILLED KAORU? HOW COULD YOU?" Ahahaha! I was such a meanie. ^_^ 

Yuko Hoon: Oh no… there's not gonna be a strange doll at all. Sorry to burst your bubble. But don't worry, I'm not as evil meanie as you think I am. Oh geesh… I bet you'll strangle me now… *back cautiously away*

Prudence- chan: Ahhh… well… despite the mean-ness of it all, errr… well, this story has hit rock- bottom so there's no other way but to go up, ne? MWAHAHAHA!!! *evil EVIL grin*

Selph: thanks! Even for such a short review, it's nice to know people read this. ^_^

Noa: Ahhhh… hehehe… *scratches head* well… ah, I'll hide now. ~_~

DarkFairy: YAY! YAY! I totally LOOOOVVVEEEE that song! Teeheehee… I figured I'd try writing a songfic or something… just to make it sadder. Wahaha! Sorryy… it's not that angsty. I had to put in there some light stuff… I really can't write completely angsty fics. :P

Dragowolf: ahhh… well, hope you enjoyed it! ^_^

ZenryokuZ: wehehehe… I know. Too bad I felt like targeting Yahiko for my mean-ness at that time… haha! I almost tripped when I thought of that. ^_~

Nekonomiko: I do hope this chapter answered most of your questions… I wanted to concentrate on MisaoxAoshi. Who wouldn't? They're the best! 

Argentum Draco: Errmmm… Tsubame can bully if she wants to. Besides, Yahiko can't resist her for long… wahahaha! ^_^

Crazy lassie from the hills: ahhh.. well. Gomen for that… but things WILL get better, I assure you. Lighten up!

JadOo: haha… you're also evil inside… I think you're the only one who didn't really mourn for Kaoru. Good thing! Teeheehee..

TwinBakaNekos: Hey! Thanks for reading my fic! Well… how was it? I'm really an evil writer but I don't stay evil for long. It's just… a phase, ya know? I'm good inside. Honest. (*smirk* yeah right) no, really! *Angelic smile*

Rosa: I think you're exaggerating a bit… hahaha! You sure know how to boost my ego! Though I failed in grammar… which reminds me… I haven't done that index thingy yet! AAAAHHH!!! *panics*

Zackire: ahhh… not by a gremlin actually – by Enishi. *winks* go figure. 

The *Spangled* Pandemonium: Wahehehe… hope you enjoyed this! Don't worry… you're strong! I know you are. *grins* So you can wait a couple of weeks for the next chapter, right? HAHAHA! Joke. ;P

Kats: Oh geesh… I gotta hide under a table before you bestow nuclear annihilation upon me… *runs and looks for a table* There's no table!!! *aagg!!* Oh don't worry… there's an old twist here… I assure you. You'll just have to figure it out. I'm a mysterious person. 

Fey2Kim: Ohhh… hahaha! You're a party animal! Teeheehee… same here. *winks* Well, thanks! 

C-ko Dunseco: Hallo! Well, I just read your bio and you're Phil-Am? Cool… so where do you live? Ah… there's so many Pinays out here… not counting some of my friends. ^_^ Well, thanks!

shisazzthes2pidpsyhe: Uy! Salamat! *grins in pleasure* Naks… I'm really flattered. Ruralite? What school? Well.. I can't really tell you my school 'coz… wala lang. Nakakahiya eh. ^_^ Anyway, thanks for reviewing my ficcy!! ^_^

WAAIII!!! I totally love you guys! 

*aherm* If Camry is reading this… Oh, I don't know… I'll most probably be dead the next time she sees me. *hides under SD evil glare* ("die! Die!") aaccckk!!!

Hehe… luv ya Camry! (so please don't hurt me!) *winks* ---- hey, that rhymes! Bwahaha…

Anyway… thanks minna-san! The next chapter will most probably come out next week… hopefully. ^_^ It's my prom! Waaahhh!!! Oh well. ^_^

Sooo… please read and review! Anything's welcome… it's my burden… *sniff* well, ja! 


	22. Mibu Wolf

Author's notes: Hello peeps! WAAAAHHHH!!! Intrams! 3 days of no classes… just hard, sweaty, good o'l games! Nyahahaha! I'm soo happyyy… *grins widely*

Anyway, So. Harummm… I guess I'm still alive. Obviously. *dodges a bullet* Okay, barely hanging on. *sigh* It's hard being evil. Everyone's against you. *sigh* Errr, well, anyway, glad you guys enjoyed that last chapter! Now, it's payback time! MUAHAHAHA!!! Shiro will get it… bad. MUAHAHAHA!! ---oops… next chapter---

*brings out pom poms* Go Aoshi! A- O- S- H- I! AOSHI!!! *jumps high with that cheerleader plastic smile and glomps badly* Errrkkk… I'm not really cut out for that stuff. *sweatdrops* 

Err… enough of the weirdo nonsensical a/n. Let's go on with the show! Ah… story. ^_^

Warning: A bit of violence and errr… curses. Hehehe. Sorry. ;P

Disclaimer: I'll say it loud, I'll say it clear. I DON'T OWN… MCDONALD'S! And lotsa other stuff. I don't even own this computer! Geesh. 

*sees disclaimer boy glaring at her* Oh. yeah. And Rurouni Kenshin. Hehehe. 

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

__

"THAT's the portal." 

"Don't believe me?" in a flash, Sano moved in front of the girl and held her tiny waist in his huge hands. "After you!" He flung her towards the huge mirror. 

AAAAAAHHHHHH!!! SANOWHENIGETMYHANDSONYOU,YOU'DBETTERBEDEAD! AAAAHHHHHH!!!! Megumi fell in an endless void, reflections all around her. She shut her eyes tight, clinging to nothing. 

* * *

*POP!*

__

Iteeee… 

Megumi rubbed her bottom, feeling around if the impact had caused any bruises. She winced at the slight pain on her side. _This is going to hurt for days! _She stared at the mirror that she had just popped out off, rubbing the sore spot. Her cinnamon eyes narrowed and sparked in irritation as she remembered a certain spiky- haired someone pushing her through the seemingly solid surface. _He's going to get it. Bad. _

She waited. 

Sano surfaced from the whirling portal rather gracefully. Well, if having 'grace' is what one would call tumbling out clumsily and tripping over his own feet, ending up face down on a carpeted floor. _Ooommmffffrrrhhppphh! _

A muffled tapping of a foot was distinctly heard by the sprawled vampire. 

He slowly lifted his head and looked upwards, seeing the tapping feet, the slender ankles, the curvaceous body… and the dangerous glinting spark at the corner of the female's eyes. _Uh oh. Damn._

"I'm glad to see you survived." The cold voice was chilling his bones. This was not good. 

"Well… I'm used to it." He grinned boyishly, trying to see if his charms will work on a very angry foxy fox. He sat up and grimaced at the welling bruise on his right arm. Thankfully, his immune system was already doing its work. 

He took one look at the lady in front of him. _I wonder if I'd still be able to heal myself after this ordeal. _He gulped. 

"Used to it?" The corner of her eye twitched. "To the dizzying reflections all around you, to falling into a seemingly bottomless pit, to feeling that SOMEONE deliberately pushed you?!" Her voice rose a couple of decibels. "WITHOUT WARNING?" She fairly shouted. _What an ass- wipe! _

"Hey, they were already coming, alright?" Sano said irritatingly. "Shiro had obviously known that we were missing and he sent out people to look for us! I had to push you in because you wouldn't listen!" 

A vein popped out of Megumi's forehead.

Someone 'ahermed' behind the both of them.

"What?" Megumi whirled back angrily, annoyed at the disruption. She was ready to blow Sano's head of and the nerve of the guy who dared interrupt! _Why can't they just mind their own busine – _

Kenshin held his fisted hand in front of his mouth, faking a cough. Behind him, a very astonished crowd of onlookers gaped at the quarreling pair. Some were clutching shopping bags, the others holding their cellular phones; but all had identical huge, unbelieving eyes and hanging mouths. 

"D-Did they just popped out of th- that mirror mommy?"

__

Oh. Shit. 

Sano abruptly stood up and brushed his pants and smiled widely at the crowd. He waved his arms about, talking to them. "All right folks, the show's over. Please see the ads for the upcoming movie, 'Jumping out of mirrors'. It really is a nice piece of work, by Speilberg." His eyes glinted as he tossed them a cheeky grin. 

"Ohhhh…"

"Can I have an autograph? You're kind of hot!"

"When is it going to be released? Is it a comedy?"

"Cool! And it's being shot right here in Tokyo!"

Most of them shook their heads, and chattered excitedly away about the new 'movie'. Some looked dubious and quite suspicious, but one look at Sano and Megumi made them blink and think twice about it. Besides, people as beautiful as them, with their pale skin and perfect features, could only be actors and actresses, couldn't they?

Sano patiently ushered them out of the shop, which was full of antique items by the way, and waved, smiling an Oscar-winning smile. 

Megumi was barely able to conceal her snort. "Nice one, mister actor."

"Well, it's natural." Sano rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… I could actually win a Grammy or even an Oscar! Whaddya think?" He grinned.

"Best 'rooster- head' of the year." Misao rolled her eyes and felt a tug at her skirt. She looked down and saw a small boy looking up at her. She smiled and knelt down in front of him. "Yes?"

"Ano… why aren't there any cameras?" Huge gray eyes stared back at her, curious and interested. 

Sano smirked. _Heh. Smart kid. Let's see the foxy lady handle this one._

Megumi bit her lip, racking her brains for something. She sighed, knowing that she had to do the inevitable. She leveled her eyes to the boy's own, smiled and touched his forehead. She let the power rush out to him. "They've just packed up. Now go home and play with your friends." 

The little boy blinked, and gave her a wide trusting smile. "Okay." He walked out of the store, humming the Barney song. 

Megumi sighed out loud and stood, meeting Sano's cheeky grin. 

"Nice one, miss actress." 

She rolled her eyes, hand on her hips. _Right. Exercising my powers on a small innocent child. How very fulfilling. It's not like I couldn't use it on grown people or even dangerous humans like Kenshin...wait a sec! _"Hey, where's Kenshin?"

Sano looked around the store, realizing for the first time that only both of them are left, except the storeowner who was humming in the counter, mind wiped out. _Oh great. With what happened to Kaoru still fresh on his mind, only Kami-sama knows what he might do. _He hurriedly clasped Megumi's wrist and dragged the sputtering woman out of the shop, looking for a certain red- head slayer. He stopped in the middle of the mall, his keen sense of sight not recognizing anyone. _Shit, where'd he go? _He hurriedly turned around and…

*BLOG* 

"OOOF!"

"OW!"

Sano looked down and saw a swirly- eyed Kenshin lying on the floor. "Ah Kenshin! There you are! Where were you? We were looking all over for ya!"

The said man stood up and smiled a bit. "I just made a phone call. I know a couple of people who could help us with the Nifleheim situation."

"Ah! I should've thought of that! Nice work!"

"Figures. You wouldn't have thought of that ever, anyway." Megumi mumbled at the background. 

"Eh? Are you suggesting I'm stupid?"

"What if I am?"

Kenshin sighed, shut out the bickering voices, and fixed his stare at the fountain in the middle of the mall, seeing nothing. He had taken one last look at the corpse on top of the slab of marble and jumped into the mirror, right before the last of the searchers passed by the mausoleum. _I'd do anything I can, Kaoru. I'll save Nifleheim and your friend. _He narrowed his eyes, dark purple tinged with yellow. _I'll avenge you. _

* * *

Somehow, Aoshi had made it here, in the small clearing where nothing grows. A huge boulder was situated on the side of a huge tree. Unbeknownst to him, it was the very same place where Misao had fought with the werewolves, jumping on that very same boulder to get away. He put her small frame, light and petite, on top of its smooth surface. He stared at her, her long lashes creating shadows on her milky white skin, her hair flowing down the surface of the rock. Her face was calm, serene. Perfect. But it will never again crease into a smile, or glow with laughter. Never again.

The sorrowful vampire kneeled at the side of the boulder, closed his eyes and prayed. To all the different gods, to all the various deities existing… praying for his innocent Misao… his one and only love. 

A soft breeze blew around the clearing, circling the kneeling man and the woman on the boulder. It, too, mourned for death, for love lost. It swirled around Aoshi, giving comfort, its hushed whispers reassuring, its warm breath calming. It consoled him like a mother, wrapping around and around.

Aoshi slowly opened his eyes, his goal clear in his mind. His face stoic and solemn, he stood up and began walking reverently towards the woods, in one direction. 

Towards the castle. 

__

I will avenge her death… kill him… kill the one who caused all the pain. His dangerous silver eyes narrowed. _Shiro._

The Forbidden forest was quiet, as if it knew that something has happened. The breeze did not play amongst the trees, the insects did not sing their songs. The red eyes just watched the man walk away, silent as the still air. 

* * *

Shiro shifted thoughtfully towards the north window where the Forbidden Forest could be seen. He smiled, seeing the pinkish sky turn to a dark deep red as the sun disappeared over the horizon. 

It is time. 

* * *

Megumi shivered.

This place was the worst reputed places in downtown Tokyo. Most of the buildings were worn and dilapidated, rotting like the people living around here. Dirt and trash was scattered all around, and the street beggars were leering from under their covers at the three people walking among them. This place was pitiful and hopeless. _And it stinks! _Megumi pinched her nose, trying to cut off the acrid smells and rotten stench. 

A reckless car had barely managed to hit them and it sped away fast. A police car followed after it, not much slower. Kenshin silently led them to an empty alley. He stopped, leaned on the wall, and waited. 

Megumi looked around, looked at the redhead and inclined her head quizzically. "Hey, why are we stopping here?"

Sano touched her shoulder, looking past her. "That's why."

She looked around and saw a couple of drunks making their merry way towards them. They looked no different from the bums they had passed by, dirty and smelly, with bloodshot eyes. Another tall man came up the alley after them, dressed all in black, smoking.

After a few moments, one of them was finally able to focus his attention to the three. "He- ey, lookie what we've gotten here!" He flashed Megumi a lecherous grin and cracked his knuckled. "Looks like a couple 'o lost kittens." He licked his lips. 

The other three laughed and surrounded them. One pulled out a knife, another a chain. One punched his fist to his palm, ready for action. The man who noticed them first drew out a gun. "Now… let's play."

The brawny man with the heavy chains started to whirl it around his head skillfully, handling it as if it was no lighter than a feather. He grinned, showing blackened teeth. He started towards Megumi, intending to kill the 'weakest' first. About less than a meter from her, he swung hard, aiming for her head.

It stopped, hitting something.

Sano stood in front of Megumi, left arm raised. The chain was wrapped around it, taut and secure. He had a dangerous gleam in his eyes, and his smile was feral. "You wouldn't want to mess with me." He smirked, and pulled on the chain, making the astonished man stumble forward and fall on his face. 

The thin man with the knife suddenly sprang forward, holding Megumi captive, his right arm around her neck, the knife poised, ready to slash at her. "Stop or I'll kill your woman."

__

Ewww. What I hate most of all in a man is that they don't use deodorants! Megumi was angry, really REALLY angry. Her cinnamon eyes turned gold as her features shifted, becoming more defined. "But I'm already dead, asshole." She said sweetly. 

Sano backed up, his hands raised. "Kill at your own risk." He swiftly turned to the other man who's throwing a punch towards him, and knocked him unconscious. 

The man with the knife was confused. _What? These people are weird…_ He pushed the knife- point on her slender neck… when he suddenly felt a sharp piercing on his arm. 

"Hey! What the fuck are you doing?" He quickly drew his bleeding arm away, dropping the knife. Rivulets of blood flowed down to the ground. Two neat puncture holes can be seen as the source of it. He stared crazily at his arm, panicked. He looked up and saw the most terrifying creature he'd ever seen. A very dangerous and angry woman… with fangs. _What the hell..? _And he fainted. 

Megumi sneered in disgust, licking the blood off her lips. "Men. Acting tough and fainting at the first sight of blood. No wonder the best doctors are women." She rolled her eyes. 

Sano shrugged and smiled, kicking at the unconscious man. "Don't say I didn't warn you buddy."

A 'click' was heard behind them.

The leader of the group, holding the gun, was smiling widely. "I knew it. I knew that your kind of creatures exist. But did anyone listen? No… they just laughed at me." His smile became wider. "And who's gonna laugh now when I bring them back your bodies." He pointed the gun towards Megumi. 

"You should now by now that nothing can kill us."

"Not even with wooden bullets? I had them especially made." His hand shook a little. 

Sano narrowed his eyes. _Damn humans. Too superstitious for my taste. _He slowly inched towards Megumi. 

Silence ruled for a few seconds… and a gunshot was heard. 

__

Oh fuck. Too late! Sano sped forward, trying to get to Megumi in time. Then a blur crossed his vision and the bullet hit something and ricocheted to the wall. Sano stopped.

Kenshin was in front of the alarmed lady doctor, his wooden sword arched in a slanting position. His eyes were narrow and deadly. "Stop the games. Now."

The man dropped his gun, petrified for a moment, then ran to the opening of the alley, scared as a rabbit. The smoking man by the corner tripped him. The frightened bum cursed. "Hey, watch it!" He hurriedly stood up and looked at the man. He saw wolf- like eyes, dark and silvery. _He- he's one of them! _And that was his last thought as his neck was twisted, a horrible cracking sound echoing throughout the alley. 

The man dressed all in black, walked languorously towards the group. "Nice job, Himura. I see you haven't lost your touch." He bowed, mockingly. "And what brings you to our humble abode?"

Kenshin sheathed his sword and nodded towards him. "Saitou."

Sano raised an eyebrow. _So this is the legendary Saitou. The Mibu Wolf. _

"We have come to ask for assistance."

__

"What about T.H.O.R.N.S?"

"We cannot ask for their help. If this comes out, they'll only shut off Nifleheim and cut it from earth. They won't care about the creatures living peacefully and in accordance here. You know that."

Saitou flicked his cigarette. "And why do you care?"

Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "It's personal."

"Ahhh… the great Battousai having a personal crisis. Interesting." He flicked the stub to the ground and lit another one. "I guess… I do owe you one. After saving my life back then. After that Boston incident, I've decided to 'Kill Evil Instantly' and go straight. So now, I'm here catching renegade vampires and other creatures of the night." 

"Along with your corporation."

A ghost of a smile can be seen in the stoic man's face. "Yes, along with a hundred of my skillful men." 

"Uh… excuse me?" Megumi piped in. "Are we going to stay out here where humans can see us or do you think you're invisible?"

The Mibu Wolf turned his back and walked towards the wall. He pressed a panel and a portion of the brick wall swung open noiselessly. "Follow me. We'll discuss the details inside."

The group disappeared inside the dark opening the wall swung shut.

A drunken tramp was huddled under a pile of newspapers, shivering. He blinked a couple of times, his eyes blurry. _I'm seein' things again… _"Humph… vampires! Yo gettin' crazy 'ol man… no such thing." He mumbled, and turned to his side and started to snore. 

* * *

Amber glowed.

Twin sapphires shone in the moonlight. 

The goddess smiled.

* * *

A/n: Okay, so it was kind of short. Ehehehe. Sorry guys, I'm kind of pressured… you see, we lost every game. Not even third place. Ah well. Life sucks. Then again, it's our Prom tonight and I'm writing this. See how I love you people? NYAHAHA! ^_^

Well, I'll leave that 'riddle' (huh?) above for you to guess. It looks pretty obvious, to me. But of course, I know what's going to happen. *grins evilly* Oh, and Saitou showed up! yey! 

Ooohhh yeah, is it SAITOU or SAITOH? I can never get the spelling quite right. 

Well anyway… thanks to the best reviewers and readers!!!

Yuki: Ahh well, yeah I know. I almost couldn't believe myself too. *sob sob* I'm such a psychopathic killer… in fiction of course! Hehehe. 

Makimachi Misao (F.D.S.S.): Hey! I'm really sorry if I couldn't reply to your e-mails… I couldn't understand it… ehehehe. ^_^ But thanks all the same! Well, I can't really tell you anything because it might give away my plans… ;P 

Luli451: Hi! Well… glad to… erm, I mean, I'm sorry to make you cry! Well to tell you the truth, I almost cried myself there too! Teeheehee… I was hoping people would get that reaction… teeheehee… thanks so much!

Argentum Draco: Well… ALOMOST over. Apparently. Still, well, I dunno, I might write a sequel. But I'm getting a bit… tired. SO it might take a while. ^_^  
chibi-ken14: Hey! Whoa… you did cry? Wow… that's sort of a compliment for me already. Thanks! I love receiving reactions that I wanted to draw out from the readers. *grins* 

Dagowolf: *sweatdrops* Ahehe. I'm afraid now… 

Selph: I kno- ho- ow… I'm a murderess… so put me in jail! *bars began surrounding her* Ack! No! just kidding… If you did, I wouldn't be able to write now, would I? Hehe.

JadOo: Well… I'm sorry to disappoint you, I guess the ending will be a mixture of happiness and sadness. I don't know, I'm still working it out. Wow, you're one of the few people who hate her! Better hide. Haha! ^_^

Me me and only me: Yeah, don't worry. Although I guess this chapter was a bit late and it's quite short too… but what the heck.

Nekonomiko: Hmmm… good guesses, but I guess you'll just have to find out when the chapters come out. OHOHOHO!! I'm such a meanie! Haha! 

Yuko Hoon: The ass kicking will most probably come out in the next chapter. Sorry! But I tell ya, it'll be bad. 

Nashime- chan: Hey! Pinay ako! *runs around with glee* yay! You do know that there's a lot of Filipinos here… I'm glad many are reading my fic! Yay! Oh, and thanks a lot! ^_^ grabe, obsessed? Sobra naman… ^_~

Prudence- chan: Hey! Well, Aoshi will be quite alright, I assure you. So don't worry! Things will turn up! 

DarkFairy: 'Madre de Dios'--- hahaha! Nice reaction! Teeheehee… oh well, don't worry! I do hope you keep reading, though. ;P

A. Pikachu: It's okay! I'm just happy you read it! *grins from ear to ear* I don't think I'll make another one that emotional. It's too tiring. *sighs*

The *Spangled* Pandemonium: Who! Thanks so much for your dedication! It really touched me… *sniff sniff… snot!* Eww. Please ignore that. ^.~ Ahhh.

Shicsaczzz-the-s2PiD-PsYc: Ah I see! Kawawa ka naman… sana maayos na yung keyboard mo! Hirap siguro… *giggles* Pero, salamat talaga sa pag-suporta mo sa Fanfiction ko! ^_^ Ako rin eh, medyo addict na. ;P

Kmye- chan: Whoa… first you don't want her alive then you want her dead to get to Aoshi? *sweatdrops* What's the world coming into… hahaha! Oh well. Thanks for supporting! ^_^ 

Crazy lassie from the hills: Hey, do you know Camry Silos? She's a good friend of mine… grabe, it's such a small world. *winks* Don't worry, it'll come to a good end. And yeah, And I'm an u- tooot. Haha.

Misao Silent-mode: HAHAHAHA!!! I know…. I mean, I know that I was about to write some angsty stuff so I gotta lighten up the mood a bit, right? Nyahaha! Nice thing about the hairy feet… yuck! Haha! 

Cko: It's okay, I love peach mango pies anyway! It's not torture… it's heaven! *grows wings and flies* Okay, well, I'm an optimistic person (*snort* yeah right) and I'm not gonna end this with all the people dead. That's just… morbid. 

Nekocin: Wow, thanks! That's like the best compliment I've ever received! *blushes* I like description and I guess I owe it to my grammar teacher, strict as she is. I still fail though. *sigh* OH, what's MM.org? 

Dallisse: Well, here it is! I know, quite intense, wasn't it? I like it like that. ^_^

NatsuNoAme: Hey! I hope you read the last chapter… I can't wait for your reaction! *smiles evilly* Thanks so much! I know, I am mean to yahiko. Period. 

Kats: Uhoh. A pickaxe. Are you going gardening? (kats glares) Right… I know… fat chance… *sigh* I resign myself to my fate. *hears screams in the background and faints*

Well, thanks guys! A bit more and suicidal attempts are possible. For you all, I meant. Not for me. I love life. Hahaha! Joke. ;P (hey! That was lame!) I know. Well, please read and review! And flame if necessary. I love flames. I'm a queer sort of person. *grins* 

PS. Hey, watch out for the next chapter! Shocking revelations and a bit of action. I think it'll be the second to the last chapter already! *yay!* I can't believe I'm finishing this… MWAHAHAHA! Of course, I might right a sequel. It depends… gah. Just tell me if you want to. ^_^ Thankees! 


	23. Identity

Author's notes: Oh, oh, oh. Back to school again. Drat. Well, it was fun while it lasted. ^_^ (we had 3 days of intramural, our prom, and 2 days of career talks). *sigh*

Happy Valentines Day! You know, I don't really get the point… you waste money for stupid flowers and weird heart stuff, you wear red (for god's sakes!) and you all go mushy!? What's to love about it??? (the more decent Tesuka: forgive her, she didn't have a date! *stares disapprovingly*) Wah! *pigs out on chocolates* 

Anyway… *drum roll* HEEERRREEE'S the next chapter!!! Well, just one more thing… AOSHI'S GONNA DO SOME ASS-KICKIN'! But the question is… is he going to succeed? Or will a certain revelation weaken his will? Find out below… (Yuck, that sounded like a cheap ad. ~_~) 

****

Warning: rated for a bit of violent content (and totally shocking revelations)… during and after the chapter. (you guys know what I mean… hehe.) 

Disclaimer: WAHAHAHA! I OWN NOTHING! *runs amok, crazed.* Minnie me sighs. ~_~ ' 

The Vampire Aoshi 

By Tesuka- chan

I'm confused.

__

He used you.

I don't know…

__

He didn't want you.

Why?

__

He hated you. 

But I…

__

He KILLED you. You must take revenge. He cannot get away with it. 

Y- yes. 

Yes. 

He killed me. 

He took everything away. 

Revenge. 

My revenge will be sweet. 

The goddess smiled.

* * *

Aoshi approached the side door of the tower. 

There was no one about, everything was silent. It was dark again. He had waited the whole day, hidden in the borders of the forbidden forest. This gave him time to think about Shiro, and what he is. 

__

Shiro… is he a vampire? His scent is like one of us, but I sensed something alien in him… a greater power that I can only dream about. He can control with his thought, psychic… not to mention psychotic. He smirked. Then his features were once again stoic as he contemplated on the extraordinary powers that his enemy showed in the fight. The misty cage where Misao and him floated on, the movement of objects with a wave of a hand, the changing of shapes from the little boy Fuuma to the dangerous Shiro. 

__

No. He is not a vampire. He is something more… something that I cannot put my finger on. The last words of his father swam in his mind. _'You must protect her… must protect Nifleheim… the prophecies… remember…'_ His eyes clouded as he remembered his failure in the first part. He steeled his thoughts, forcing them to think of the situation in hand. Then he started to remember. _When he was a child… fairytales… gods and goddesses… what were they called? The Ch – _then it was gone. He simply cannot try to recall everything. It was a long time ago. He sighed in exasperation. Somehow, he knew the answer was there… it was very near.

__

Nevertheless… I will not yield. I will kill him with my kodachis. Silvery green eyes narrowed at that. When he was sure it was safe to go in, he had moved in the shadows, as silent as a cat and had reached the tower. The security was tight in the main gates, but he knew this secret side door on the farthest side of the castle when he was still a boy. Only a few were aware about it. 

He opened the black stone door easily, even if it was unused for a long time. He went inside the dark, musty tower, cobwebs and dust sticking to his tall frame. Cautiously, he moved his way along the narrow hallways, his highly sensitized eyes seeing everything in the dark. The vampire stopped in front of the wall, a thin crack catching his attention. _It's here somewhere…_ he lightly ran his lithe fingers over it and pushed. The wall moved.

As he expected, he emerged into the armory room, where the weapons were kept. He remembered what his father told him about the passage; that if the castle was ever conquered, the royal family will arm themselves and escape through the passage, with the promise of return for revenge. Of course, that never happened, until the prince's return now. In Aoshi's case, he definitely returned for revenge. He strode in, seeing the chamber empty. 

Different kinds of weaponry were displayed all over the chamber. Axes, knives, spears, and metal armors – all shown in their deadly splendor. Still, he ignored all of these and moved towards the chest at the corner with the royal crest. He lifted the lid, expecting to find his kodachis… and he did. 

In shards. 

His aristocratic features hardened in fury as he picked up one particular sharp piece. He clenched his hand around it, making it cut into his flesh, blood dripping down to the floor. _No… this can't be. _He threw the bloody shard back on the chest… and it hit something glowing. It was also a shard, but silvery and longer, different from his own swords. He lifted it with his bloody hand, and found two other pieces near it. He fitted it like a jigsaw puzzle… 

and it merged, one whole sword yet again.

Aoshi held his breath. It was his father's sword, the one that shattered in the fight. It had merged as one again when his hand touched all three shards, his royal blood staining them. He tentatively touched it again and when it only glowed, he grasped the hilt. To his surprise, a thin beam of light slashed from the hilt, straight to the sharp tip. It had separated into two, forming two short swords, resembling a pair of kodachis. It had shifted to his preferred weapon. He wouldn't be surprised if it turned into an axe if he wanted it.

He held them reverently into both his hands, feeling the power, the strength. He swung them around expertly. _They're perfect._ His father was wise, and had most probably meant to pass it to his son. The prince smiled without humor. Shiro had made a mistake in keeping the silver shards. Now he will die by them. 

* * *

__

He was a guardian, the strongest of them all, and his life was solely dedicated to guarding the People. He came down once in a while to Nifleheim, to assure that things were going well, to see if everything's peaceful. It was one of those visits that he met her. 

He was walking by the woods, seeing the healthy young trees, hearing the sweet song of the birds, and just enjoying the warmth of the sun on his pale skin. Suddenly, an arrow whizzed dangerously close to him and had hit a tree. He turned swiftly around, his robes and long, dark blue hair whirling around him, ready to kill the oppressor in one zap of a finger… when he saw her. 

She was wearing what a lady should not; green tights, a boy's dark green tunic reaching up to her knees with a thick leather belt around her waist, and soft leather shoes. But instead of making her look like a man, it had emphasized her curves more, startling the guardian. Her long, black hair was braided and rested on her left shoulder, reaching up to her mid- thighs. She was holding a bow, body poised as if she had just shot an arrow, and a quiver of it were strapped around her shoulders. What really caught his attention though was her clear, blue- green eyes, so much like the sea, which was at the moment startled. Well… what do we have here? 

__

Though she was steady and her body taut, she was shivering inside with the look the man gave her. Sure, the man was gorgeous, and she usually didn't mind when the men in the village stared at her so, but this was different… like he would like to eat her up whole or something. Annoyed at her reaction towards this man's scrutiny, she straightened and stonily said, "There was a snake about to bite you."

The man narrowed his blue eyes and lifted and eyebrow. He slightly turned his head, and true enough, a python was pinned to the tree behind him, its blood dripping down to the forest grounds. He smirked, thinking of the irony. I am a guardian yet I was saved by one of those whom I am protecting. _He turned his head back to his savior. "Thank you…"_

But she was gone. 

Intrigued and curious, he searched the forest for a sign of her. But she had vanished, like she never existed in the first place. He burrowed his eyebrows, thinking that his powers might be weakening when he caught sight of a green tunic, lying on the grass by the river. He picked it up, thinking that someone might've abducted her or some wild animal attacked her and tore her clothes off when he heard a scream.

"AHHHH!!! Hentai!!!" 

And a rock hit him squarely in the head. 

Startled, but unfazed, (he was a guardian after all) he looked at the direction from which the rock came from. And she was there, wading in the river, only her head visible above the water, her cheeks flushed prettily from anger and humiliation. Her hair was floating around her, creating a curtain that shielded her body from him. "I don't know what you want but will you please return my tunic?" She said, rather irritated. 

Amused, he sat down on a boulder, dangling the said tunic on one finger. This woman intrigued him. "And why should I?" 

"Because I don't have anymore clothes and I doubt if you'll be able to use that, seeing that you have your splendid robes."

The guardian smiled mischievously. "Then, come and get it."

Her blue- green eyes widened in disbelief, and her cheeks became redder every second. "B-but I don't have any clothes on!"

He raised a brow. "So?"

"So you might see ME!" she sputtered.

His eyes lingered on her face and on the body hidden under the water. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."

Livid with anger and furiously blushing, she tried to think of a way to get her tunic back. She looked about her and saw a huge tree with equally huge leaves. Her face brightened as an idea came to her. 

Enjoying himself for the first time in years, he watched her wade to the far bank and tried to reach for the nearest large leaf. However, because of her small frame, she was unable to grasp it without having to emerge a part of her body from the water. Sighing in annoyance, she decided to get this over and done with. She presented him with her back, stood up a little showing white creamy skin and firm buttocks and quickly grabbed the leaf with her vicious hands. She quickly sat back down under the water and wrapped the leaf around her. 

Totally embarrassed by now, knowing that he saw the whole thing, she stood up, stalked over to him and grabbed her tunic. He didn't let go. She tugged angrily and looked at his face for the first time after her 'adventure' – his deep blue eyes were a mixture of mirth and a bit of desire, and he was looking at her in a very uncomfortable manner. After a very long moment, she dragged her eyes away from his and tugged again. 

"What's your name?"

Quite confused and dying to have her clothes back, she snapped at him, "Why would I tell you?"

"Because I won't let go until you tell me."

"It's Meia." She tugged at the cloth again, expecting for him to give it. But he tugged back. They played tug-of-war for a few moments, and making her fell totally irritated every second that passed by. Suddenly, he tugged hard… and she fell against his tall frame. She gasped as his arm curled around her small waist, making her move nearer to him than it already is. "Well then, Meia," He drawled, " will you give me the pleasure of accompanying me around the forest this afternoon?" 

Being too close to this mysterious man was making her head spin. "Okay… fine… Just let me go." Another effect must be craziness. He let her go, giving her tunic to her. She snatched it and put it on, tugging out the leaf underneath after. She walked away from him, and he appreciated her bare, long legs and the confident way she held herself. She put on the tights, belt and shoes, and she got her bow and quiver. "So? Where do you want to go?"

He shook himself out of his thoughts, mainly about the woman in front of him, and answered. "Let's just walk around, shall we?"

Meia's eyes narrowed. "What's YOUR name, by the way?"

He hesitated. Then he finally said, "Just call me… Damon."

She tilted her head, trying to remember something. Then she shook her head, and quipped, "well Damon, what do you usually do when you're not being bitten by snakes or peeping on unsuspecting, bathing women?" 

Damon laughed out loud, feeling really free and alive for once. "Well, I help people." 

The conversation went on, and he found out more about her, her liveliness and love of life drawing her to him. She was enigmatic, full of strength and laughter. I must be careful… I cannot, will not, fall in love. My duty always comes first. _He looked at her ocean- blue eyes and knew… knew that it was already too late. He already loved her. _

* * *

The doors of the Great Hall banged open.

Measured footsteps were heard, echoing menacingly throughout the hall. Droplets of blood stained the marble floor, harshly red against the shiny blackness of it. Aoshi stopped a good few meters from the throne itself, his hands on his sides, holding the two swords, which bloody tips almost scratched the smooth surface of the floor. His silver eyes stared penetratingly at the man sitting on throne. 

Shiro smiled cynically. "Well, well… I have been expecting you, prince."

Aoshi's body simply formed into an offensive stance, his left arm stretched forwards while his right arm was bent at the elbow. Both silver tips glinted towards the king. "Fight me." His cold voice rang all over the hall.

Shiro laughed. His laughter was crazed, evil, sending cold convulsions down Aoshi's spine. He suddenly stopped and his emerald eyes returned the same intensity of hate to Aoshi. "I'll humor you."

Suddenly, he jumped upwards from the throne, vanishing in the air. Aoshi concentrated, his mind clear. A single flash of icy green was enough for him to anticipate Shiro's move… _upper left. _He slashed his left arm upwards, his kodachi meeting Shiro's green sword. Aoshi suddenly slashed his right kodachi, aiming for the enemy's free right side… but it met only air. He swung back, defensive.

Shiro appeared not far from his right, his sword poised in front of him, his long ponytail swishing at his back. He had a smirk on his face. "Not bad… considering that you're the son of a loser." 

Aoshi's blood was ringing in his ears. _How dare he talk about my father like that? _Now he took the initiative, moving forward in great speed, not giving Shiro time to move away. 

Shiro smirked again. _Does this boy actually think he can defeat me with a move so forward as that? _He swung his sword towards the moving man. _This is too easy. _

Aoshi did the unexpected. He clamped both of his swords together, making an X, trapping Shiro's sword on the middle point. He twisted up and sideways, his whole body moving, defying gravity. His left leg pushed from the floor, giving momentum… and his right leg kicked Shiro squarely in the face. His body lithely twisted horizontally, still bringing the green sword with his kodachis, wrenching it away from its owner's hand. He landed on his feet, and his body was once again in an offensive position.

Shiro was flung to the floor, the strong impact reverberating all over his body. His green sword was flung to the other side of the room, piercing the stone wall, deeply embedded to the hilt. Aoshi was still in his position, not moving, not stirring. 

Shiro felt weak all over, his mind and body stunned at what just happened. He had never been hit like this before, full of anger and revenge. He put his hand on his dislocated jaw, painfully putting it back on its original position. Heaving heavily, he looked at the one who defeated him in such a short time. 

Aoshi was calm, but inside, his blood was still boiling with utter hate, disgust, and revenge. He slowly sheathed his swords at his back and approached the writhing man on the floor. "Bastard." He kicked the man on the stomach, making him double over again. "You killed my people," another kick to his side, "You killed my father," another to his back, "And most of all… you made me kill Misao." He crouched down, snagged his hair, making Shiro's face look at him. That hateful, deceiving face. The devil's own. He punched it with all the force he could muster. "You don't deserve to live after all you've done." His cold voice gave away no emotion.

Shiro laughed maniacally, but his laugh gave way to coughs, blood spilling out of his mouth. Most probably, one of his ribs had pierced his lungs… but it didn't matter. He shakily stood up, and if the vampire in front of him was surprised that he was still able to stand up after that beating, he didn't show it. 

"You fool… no one can kill me." 

"What are you?"

"Heh… I thought you would've figured it out by now. I've overestimated your intelligence, Shinomori." He straightened, but leaned on a pillar for support. "Try to guess."

"I have no time for games. Tell me now. I'm going to kill you anyway."

At that, Shiro laughed again. He already felt his healing powers swiftly zapping all over his body, fixing broken bones and punctured lungs. His immune system works faster than vampires, even without nourishment from blood. He continued playing the defeated, stalling for time. "Well…" he drawled, obviously enjoying every moment of this. "I am… one of the Ch'nage."

Aoshi's eyes returned to its more normal green as the revelation seeped into his brain. _Ch'nage… _Memories from his childhood came back to him; his nanny telling him about gods and goddesses that watch over the vampires and other creatures of Nifleheim. They were the Ch'nage… the guardians. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "There are no such beings."

"You vampires have very little faith over us. We have watched over you for centuries, longer even. Your belief faded in time, and with it, our power and existence were also fading… killing most of us. What power I have now is only one tenth of the power I had before.." he said in disgust. "But it is still enough for me to achieve my goal."

"And what goal is that?" Aoshi unsheathed his sword again, getting suspicious. He should've killed him by now, but he was curious. He wanted to know what motivated this evil man to kill everyone he loved. 

"That goal… is to have more power." Shiro stood straight, his healing finally complete. He cracked the side of his head and his back, reveling in the feeling of renewed health. "Of course, in order to do that, I have to get the power of the greatest."

Silvery green eyes narrowed. He had a bad feeling about this. 

"And the greatest is… Makimachi Misao."

Aoshi's heart stopped cold. _No… _"But she's dead!" For the first time that night, his stoic mask fell and all his weakness, all his fears swam in his eyes. 

The knowing glint in Shiro's eyes said it all. 

"So you made me kill her… that was part of your scheme, isn't it? You sent me to the forbidden forest, knowing that she'll go after me… and you made me kill her. To gain her power. The power that she didn't even know she has." His voice cracked as he fell to the floor. _I contributed to his plan… I caused him to be more powerful… when Misao died, her power must have transferred to the nearest Ch'nage… Shiro. _He buried his head on his hands. 

"On the contrary, didn't I tell you that we Ch'nage don't die easily?" Shiro is immensely enjoying the discomfort of the prince reading his mind clearly. "Didn't you know that Misao is one? That she is the daughter of the highest order of the Ch'nage?" His voice became lower, more amused… laughing, mocking. "When you killed her, this opened her powers, transferring the power from her seal to its rightful place." Now he was the one who approached the stricken vampire. "What I'm saying is…" 

"My love!" 

Both heads turned toward the unexpected voice – feminine and familiar. Aoshi's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw a vision going towards him, her long hair cascading down her back, her white gown perfectly fitting and hugging her curves, and her face lifted up in a smile that reached her sapphire eyes… "M- Misao…" Aoshi stuttered, his own eyes wide and stunned. 

Misao approached the two, innocently looking at the scene before her. "What happened here, my love?" She inquired, looking at Shiro. 

All of Aoshi's hope and renewed love shattered. _No… I thought she loved me… why? _Anger once again raced over his veins, stronger than before. "SHIRO!" Now, he held nothing back. He attacked Shiro, lifting him by his collar and punching his face like a madman. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" He screamed at him, letting out everything in full force. In the background, he heard a vague scream, but he didn't mind it, intent he was on beating the crap out of Shiro. "You influenced her, you bastard!" He punched his face.

Suddenly, he felt a force so strong, greater than that of what he had felt when Shiro slammed him before on the pillars. He cried out in pain as he was hurled to the farthest side of the hall. He slid down the wall and crumpled to the ground. He raised his eyes, seeing Misao floating a few feet above the floor, her blue- black hair waving all around her, a yellow aura surrounding her. Her eyes were all blue, no irises. Her cold voice pierced Aoshi's already shattered heart. 

"Don't you ever do that to him again!" She waved her hand in front of her, and Aoshi's head slammed back to the stone wall again. But he didn't fell the physical pain. What he felt was worse – a pain that Misao's words and actions inflicted on him… like the blade of a cold knife striking his heart repeatedly, and none other than his one and only love who's holding the cruel knife. 

Misao felt angry and hurt. No one could ever harm her one and only love and live. She floated down, her amber pendant resting light against her throat. Shiro's arm snaked around her waist. She felt a cold, dreary sensation but she shoved it away. With her was the man she loved… and the bastard who was trying to hurt him was the one that she will kill… for not only did he hurt Shiro, but he had killed her too. 

* * *

__

Meia was worried. Shiro had taken her daughter and brought her back to the castle. She shivered at the icy dread that she was feeling. True, by killing her, only then will she be able to regain her powers fully, and Meia will reunite with her love, Damon, in heaven. An arm rested on her waist and she looked up at Damon's beautiful face. She smiled. I can't believe we're together again. 

Yes. _Damon replied. He looked at the lovely face of his wife, so much like his daughter's. He loves them both, from watching them above. He stoked her cheek and said to her, _after I inflicted all my power in Niflehiem to punish them for killing my wife, I died then, and thought that I'd be with you here. But your mission was not complete… you had to return to give my power to Misao, and now that I've died, she inherited it. _He looked away, thoughtful._

That traitor Shiro! I hate him with all my heart… _Meia vehemently declared. _All he wanted was your power. He wasn't fit to be a Ch'nage! Now he's ruining our daughter's life! 

Remember… we didn't decide who are the Ch'nage… the Almighty did. We are one step lower from heaven and one step higher from Nifleheim. We were the go- between. He have plans for everything. _His kissed the top of his beloved's head. _Everything will turn out okay, Meia. Everything will be okay.

__

But somehow, he even had to convince himself of that. 

* * *

****

If confused, read this: 

A/n: *worried look on face* I'm not sure if it's clear for all of you… well, to say the least, Meia and Damon are Misao's parents, they fell in love, got married secretly, had a child. But the mob killed Meia (earlier chapters) and Damon got mad so he sent a really deadly plague over Nifleheim, leaving only a few to survive. In doing that, he died. (Ch'nage die too!) and went to heaven, expecting his wife to be there. But she's not. Her ghost was left on earth (forbidden forest) until Misao 'dies' and gets all her powers. 

Now in Shiro's case, since Misao is stronger than him, he couldn't kill her to get her power. So he sort of influenced her so that she'll follow him, and in a way, her power is in his hands. Got it?

Phew! *wipes sweat off face* darn. Took me 5 hours to write this chapter!!! (well, I watched a movie in the middle- hehe.) I wonder… why do I write complicated plots???? Err.. anyway, any suggestions, please tell me how you want it to end1 I have a vague idea but I'm still working it out… so any help is welcome! ^_^

Oh well… Thanks so much for the reviewers!!! I totally love all of you! ^_^ 

Errm… 

Uhhh…

*scratches head* 

So here I was, looking at the reviews to say thanks but… why are most of them replaced by XING@FANFICTION.NET??????? *sweatdrop* I mean… weird. Something must be wrong with the site or something… *double sweatdrop* 

Well, since I obviously can't say thanks individually, I'll just say thanks generally. So:

THANKS!!! *gives everyone a big hug* LOVE YA'LL!! ß believe me, it's not the valentines spirit. Ehehehe. ^_^

Well, read and review please! I know this chapter's kind of weird so flame if necessary. ^_^ 


	24. The Final battle

Author's notes: WAH! I'm really sorry for the late update! I just got a dose of Writer's Block back there, and I really didn't want to write without much inspiration so… *smiles apologetically* Thank you minna-san for being patient! :D

Oh, I also wanted to apologize about the previous chapter. I wasn't really up to it so the humor's kinda lost there. I'm beginning to think that this is getting too serious. *sigh* Well, too late for changes now… I'm on the second to the last episode! Yay! ^_^ Well, just be ready for misplaced hilarity in this chapter. *grins*

Anyway… Ah! Next chapter! Next chapter! Weeeheee!!! *runs around the room with arms outstretched, trying to look like an airplane* Yeah! Oh, ummm, I think most of you know the movie "Harry Potter", right? 

Disclaimer: Gawd. I'm in no mood for disclaimer dramas. Still… *bonks disclaimer boy in the head* There, that ought to stop him from pestering me for a while. *DB menacingly overshadows tesuka- chan* GULP. Gotta run! Don't own even my underwear! *whoosh!* 

The Vampire Aoshi

By Tesuka- chan

The two stared at the huge marble doors blankly. 

*tap tap*

*sigh*

"Hey Sano, be a dear and try it again."

"What? I've tried pushing that thing for one hundred times! I'm not superman!"

"Really?" *pout* "But I thought you are… I mean, you are THE superman in the bedroom…"

Silence. 

"YOSH! I'll do it again!"

Push! *grunt grunt* Heave! *pant pant* Shove! 

"AHHHH!!!" 

*blagh!*

Kenshin sighed in exasperation. These two had been at it for about an hour now, and still the huge doors won't budge. He had tried his strongest attack, but the marble stones were just too thick, and with the look and feel of it, a spell was cast here, sealing the portal. He hadn't tried summoning up his supposedly 'powers,' and he didn't really want to. The first and last time he used it was when he killed Enishi… to save Kaoru. His heart momentarily constricted at the painful memory, but he shoved it away quickly. He has to concentrate. He looked at his watch. 12:00 midnight. Saitou will arrive just about now. 

"How many idiots does it take to open a portal?"

Megumi whirled around, cinnamon eyes flashing. "We've been trying for a very long time! This is impossible… I'm not exactly Harry Potter here!" 

Sano was bent over, his face perspiring. He waved his hand towards the inspector. "Yeah… whatever she said…" *pant pant* 

The Mibu Wolf raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" His beady eyes settled on Kenshin, who was looking everywhere but at him. "Why don't you ask Battousai there?"

"Even Kenshin can't open that damned door!"

"Not unless…" Megumi started, turning partially towards the redhead. _Well, he's got the red hair, small stature… _her eyes widened with a sudden realization. Her hand fluttered to her red lips as she exclaimed, "You're a Weasley!" 

Silence ensued.

"Ano… Megumi- san, I think you've watched too many movies."

"Heh, tell me about it. We've watched that damned Harry Potter movie five times yesterday."

"Ahhh… that explains it." 

"Cut the crap. Kenshin, do it." Saitou commanded rather irritatingly. These morons are giving him a headache.

"Demo, I can't. I really don't know how to use – "

"Hey, it's our only chance… Shiro most probably hired witches to seal this thing. Do you want to save lives or not?" His temples were starting to throb erratically. _At this rate, I'll have a heart attack before I even enter Nifleheim! _

Kenshin's head was bent, his long bangs shielding his eyes and anything that might give away whatever he's thinking. Finally, he lifted his head, amber eyes flashing in determination, his whole body emitting a purple aura._ Alright. I have no choice._ He slowly approached the marble doors, and held out a hand, his right index finger barely touching the smooth surface. _Release. _

His amethyst aura clashed with red. 

Megumi flung back, not being able to take the intense heat coming from the scene unfolding in front of her. The clashing of power created a blinding white light and scorching flames. The figure in the middle of it all was holding on, his hair like flames themselves, flowing around him, his eyes afire. For a moment, it seems like the red flames were engulfing Kenshin, the power proving too much to handle… but he prevailed. A last burst of power, and the red aura shattered. 

The male witch staggered back, the pressure taking a toll on him. He slowly raised his purple eyes. _It's open. _

After a few seconds of awed silence, Saitou approached the smoldering slabs of marble. Everyone held his/ her breath as the wolf pushed the surface with the tip of his sword's sheath… it didn't budge. Frowning, he stepped back and tried to analyze what went wrong.

*Tap tap* _I thought Kenshin's powers would be enough for it to be opened…_

*sigh* _He did told me about him killing Enishi with one small blow…_

*cough* _What the hell went wrong now?! _

"AHERM!!!" Megumi 'coughed' out. 

Saitou spared her a glance – more like a glare – and saw her pointedly looking at something in the middle of the door. He glanced at it, irked at what unimportant details the fox is pointing now when he's in the middle of thinking…

Oh, look. A handle.

He promptly reached for it and turned. The doors easily swung open, revealing a mirror-like portal with silvery images whirling around inside. It was truly open at last. 

"So, tell me again, how many idiots does it take for a door handle to be turned?" Megumi spat out haughtily, her gaze laughing and smug. The inspector's eyes narrowed into slits. _Give her a little more time and she'll be laughing like a female Santa Clause. _

"OHOHOHOHO!!!" 

__

What did I just say? He sighed and turned back, signaling to his men just a few meters behind them. 

Sano completely missed the exchange, worrying as it is about Kenshin. "Hey man, you okay?" 

"Yeah… I'm rejuvenating. Thanks, Sano." He stood up, albeit shakily. 

"I never knew you were a witch. That was some power."

"I never knew too, before a certain incident." His face was stoic as he walked steadily towards the opening of the portal, while men were filing inside with different high- tech weapons and equipment, along with old- fashioned yet effective swords. 

I'm back… Nifleheim.

* * *

**__**

Get up. 

Aoshi's eyes fluttered open. _That voice… _He groggily stood up, his muscles aching, a couple of ribs shattered. He winced at the pain. Good thing his immune system is working up. He shook his head. _What happened? _He raised his eyes, green orbs resting on the spiral ceiling. _I'm in the throne room. What am I doing here? _He scanned the room, hazy eyes managing to see the little details around him. Then his eyes widened as it all came rushing back to him.

Misao is alive. 

And Shiro has her on the palm of his hands. 

His hands unconsciously formed into fists, and his teeth clenched tightly. His whole body was slightly trembling, not with fear, but with fierce hate and that feeling of betrayal. He looked around, finally seeing a couple in the side, the woman proud and spirited, beautiful in every sense. The man handsome, yet corrupted, the evil inside him making his soul rot. Aoshi felt a familiar pang flashed briefly inside him. Then it was gone, and his face was neutral… a mask, welcome in this game of deception. 

**__**

Now, it's your turn Aoshi. You will die by my hands! 

Misao spoke to him in her mind, her unexplained hate and terrible power reverberating inside her. She really didn't know where it was coming from… all she knows is that she hated HIM. She hated him with a passion, her whole body was brimming with it. She narrowed her eyes as she silently walked across the room towards HIM. A few meters away from the slumped figure, she stopped. 

Her hand came up to her throat, fingers closing around a sphere, and tugged it harshly, breaking the delicate chain. She opened her palm, the tiny pendant floating and glinting. Her arms lifted, following the rising jewel… and called upon her power. 

Thin wisps of shimmering amber encircled around the sun-like gem, working its power into it, shifting, dancing. And right before everyone who witnessed, gold light expanded. The stone had morphed into a sword. 

Misao grasped the marble- like handle. She ran her delicate fingers over the amber blade, smooth, sharp, and deadly. She raised her sapphire eyes to Aoshi and smiled. No words were needed to express her fatal intention. 

The tall man stood up proudly, a firm decision in his mind. "I will not fight you."

"You have no choice." The sword sang as she swung it towards him, aiming for his throat. 

The vampire barely got away from the unexpected attack, partly because he was surprised and partly because a little fraction of his brain couldn't accept what he's seeing in front of him. He flung back, suddenly finding his kodachis in his hands. _Damned my self-defense mechanism... _his eyes narrowed. _Whatever happens, I won't fight back. _He held them hesitantly in front of him, in a defensive position. 

Misao was stunned. The moment she stroke and almost beheaded the man, she had felt adrenaline run through her veins at the thought of him dying, but oddly, she had also felt a constricting pain shooting inside her. _Wha- what is this? _Her sword dangling on her left hand, She held her right hand towards her chest, trying to calm down the beating of her heart. _Is it him? How can he hurt me without doing anything? I am a goddess… no one can hurt me that easily! _Her eyes were wide with shock and pain.

Observing the Ch'nage in front of him, he had tried to think of ways of stopping this, without the both of them having to sacrifice themselves. Suddenly, he saw her falter, her eyes wide and panicked. Truly worried, he lowered his arms and started to approach her. "Misao! Are you okay?" He reached out, meaning to touch her, to comfort her.

She suddenly stepped back and swung the sword in front of him, halting his approach. "Don't touch me!" She spat out, still confused about what this man made her feel. "Don't ever touch me! I hate you!"

For a moment, intense grief flashed in those murky green orbs. Then it was gone. "We don't have to fight. I'll stay away… for the safety of both of us." He stated stiffly. 

"That won't be enough. Fight me." Misao was panting, sweating. _Stop it! I can't take anymore of this pain! Make it stop! _Closing her eyes, she screamed a battle cry and attacked, thinking that if she killed him, the pain will go. She hit at him aggressively, blow after blow, which Aoshi silently blocked every time.

__

I can't keep this up any longer… her power's making her stronger, her blows quicker and deadly. He jumped back, just as she did. She was panting heavily now, her eyes crazed and pained. _What did Shiro do to you? _He quickly glanced at the side, seeing Shiro watching silently, sitting on the throne. His emerald eyes were narrowed, concentrated. The corner of his lips jerked up in a smirk. _The bastard. _

It was getting worse. She was sweating profusely, her whole body aching now. _I can't hold this anymore… the pain… it's too much. _She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm down.

**__**

In order for the pain to go away, you must kill him. 

__

Yes. He's the cause of all this.

****

He did this to you… now he must pay. 

Cerulean eyes opened wide, an endless blue. Even her pupils were blue… a blue so deep that one can drown in it, and in its power. She was lost… she was completely at his mercy. 

Blue- black hair flew around her head, an unknown wind blowing it away from her pale face. She slowly floated upwards, her aura dancing around her petite frame, until she hung suspended in mid-air. Her hands clasped the sword in a deadly grip. The voice that spoke was not hers – rather, it was a mixture of voices, both male and female, but all have one thing in common: it commands. 

****

"YOU will die now, Aoshi Shinomori."

She lunged. 

__

MISAO!! Aoshi wanted to scream, but he didn't. He knew at last… one look at Shiro's evil face told him everything. He had reversed Misao's love for him into hate… for there is only a thin line between love and hate after all. He braced himself for the blow. He's not going to back up now… now that he knows. He has to get to the real Misao somehow. _I'm not about to give up now! _He raised his kodachis in an X shaped defense, to block Misao's sword. 

Misao swung hard over her head, disturbing the air around her, creating a whirlwind. A few feet before impact, she quickly moved the sword forward, grinding against Aoshi's defense, the small air vacuum that was created giving more impact and sending Aoshi sliding across the marble floors. The collision between the two was so strong, Aoshi felt that the kodachis might break. He twisted the silver twin swords, but to no avail – 

The ice shattered in a million pieces under the force of the amber sword. 

The vampire was once again flung across the room, slamming against the thick, black walls. A small trickle of blood ran down his cheeks, splashing silently to the floor. 

Shiro smiled cynically and stood up. 

The goddess hung momentarily on mid-air, the twinkling shards of the silver sword falling all around her like rain. Her feet softly touched the ground, and she started moving towards the unmoving figure. Suddenly, something wet touched her hand… she looked down, and stared at the drop of water. She raised her right hand to her cheek, and wiped a lone tear away. _Why am I crying? I hate him, don't I? I should be happy… I should rejoice… but I'm not… why?_

**__**

Finish him now, before he destroys us all. 

__

Why?

"Mo- mochi balls…"

Misao's head snapped up, the hoarse voice catching her attention. But it's not the voice that rankled her being… it's the unusual words. "What?"

"Mochi balls." Aoshi opened his hazy silver- green eyes and looked at the beautiful woman in front of him. _I may never see her again… the least I can do is to make her remember who she really is. _"Those were your fa- favorite dessert." He hissed in pain at the effort. "You loved them above all, especially g- green tea." 

The endless sapphire eyes flickered, a memory flashing in front of the confused woman. 

Why those good-for-nothing assholes! Misao had fumed, _I waited the whole night for them to open so I could buy my favorite Mochi balls, then they have the nerve to say it's out of stock! _

She shook her head, suppressing the familiar craving and the rising doubt. "I don't know what you're talking about." _Mochi balls… sweets… like ice cream…_

**__**

What are you doing? Don't listen to him!

Sensing her hesitation, he continued, "And you're afraid of cockroaches. Remember the bathroom scene?" He coughed, covering his mouth with his fist. He looked down at his hand and saw blood. _Heh, I guess I am dying after all… I'm too battered up, even my immune system's not working anymore. _He leaned back, trying to control himself. He must make her remember. 

__

Cockroaches? Are those… Misao's brows drew together in worry and disgust. _Those little vermin that crawl on the floor, leaving germs and diseases… those icky stuff that flies around the room, pestering and just looks downright scary?!!! THOSE INSECTOIDS THAT MIGHT TAKE OVER THE WORLD!? _Blue eyes widened at the flashbacks and memories, the moments where she attacked an insignificant small insect that was crawling near her food… and the bathroom scenario. 

__

Misao ducked, narrowly avoiding the flying cockroach and faced the enemy. She narrowed her eyes with determination and faced the disgusting thing, which landed just by the opening of the bathroom door. She held the mop in front of her. One, two, three!_ She swung… just when the door opened and revealed a very concerned vampire… and hit Aoshi smack in the middle. She put too much force on the blow, toppled forward – forgetting all about the shower curtain wrapped about her small frame – and landed on the crumpled form on the tiled bathroom floor. The creature from the land of the sewers harmlessly flew out the door._

**__**

There's no time for reminiscing! KILL HIM NOW! 

But it was too late. The woman's eyes widened as the memories came rushing back to her… her arrival in Nifleheim, the king- sama, the incident in the rose garden, the uprising, the forbidden forest, the declaration of love… Aoshi. She suddenly snapped out of her reverie and grasped that realization. _I loved… Aoshi. _

The pain inside ebbed away. 

She stared in wonder at the man in front of her. The man who was called Aoshi. The man she loved… and still loves. 

"A- aoshi?" Her voice sounded shocked, confused. 

The vampire tried to smile, but winced at the effort. "Misao… welcome back." He quietly said to her. Then everything was hazy… the pictures blurred, the pain was too much. He slowly closed his eyes. _I want to rest now…_

Misao let the tears fall, falling down on her knees beside him, the sound of the clanking of her sword not heard. She gently held his head, trying to wipe away the blood. He was so pale… "Aoshi… n-no! This can't be happening now… not now…" She sobbed. "I'm such an ass! I'm so sorry… AOSHI!" 

He looked up at her, one last look. 

This time, the blue drowned into silver green, the both of them falling… falling in love again. 

She leaned closer, cupping his face into her trembling hands. "I love you so much, Aoshi…" Tears made her vision blurry. "Don't leave me, please…"

"I love you too Misao, with all my heart." He leaned forward, sealing her sweet lips with his. 

The woman shuddered as she closed her big blue eyes and gave into the sensation. Her hands came up to his neck, playing with the long strand of his hair. She willingly opened her mouth under him, making the kiss deeper. He groaned at her response and held her closer, their bodies molding together perfectly. Their love for each was inflamed, so intense, so beautiful… that the whole world exploded. 

Unbeknownst to them, Shiro had stalked towards them, shaking in rage. After all his planning… after all that he has done… that son of a bitch ruined it all! He held out his hand, a ball of power growing in his hand, all his anger and hate placed on it. _They cannot play with me like this. It is time that I put matters in my own hands._ He raised his hand, drawing back his arm, the ball of fire menacing and deadly… 

And felt a pain so intense that he staggered backwards, and fell on his back. _What the hell happened?! _He looked up… and saw amber eyes laced with amethyst staring right back at him. Cold. Unfeeling. His hand holding a sharp wooden sword, ready to thrust it in Shiro's heart. "Die."

Shiro laughed harshly. "Too late." And he released the fire ball. 

Kenshin drew back, surprised and alarmed. 

__

No… Misao and Aoshi… it's heading right towards them! 

* * *

A/n: MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I am evil indeed. Maybe I should change my name to mistress Devil! MWAHAHAHA! ^_^

Okay, here's the deal. I was wasn't really planning on cutting it there… but I can't help it. Wehehehe. And I figured, Hey, if I didn't cut it here, then all the action will be over, and then what's left with the last chapter? It would be too short! I mean, if it turns out longer than I expected, well, I can always add another chapter, right? RIGHT? ^-^ *cackles evilly* 

Thanks everyone for your undying support! ^_^

Neko: Yeah, I visited your fiction. Not bad… Though that site sort of conduses me. *scratches head* Well, thanks for reviewing! 

Kitiara: Me? Mistress? Awww, shuiks, you're too kind. *grins* Actually, I have read Anne Rice but only some of her books. I stareted to read Cry to Heaven but… ahhh… it became too much for me. ~_~' But yeah, Louis is okay. ;P

Argentum Draco: Sorry for the late update! We have Shakespeare festival and I sort of got busy… grrr. And I lost inspiration in the middle of it soo… gomen! Thanks for reviewing!

Cko: *sweatdrop* I hope the house you thrashed wasn't mine. *looks around* it's thrashed enough already! Wehehehe… well, I hope you feel better after this chapter! Or not. (Oh yeah, I can't believe you read it again!!! O.o)

Noa: Don't worry! If you noticed, I sort of put more humor in this thing. The angst became to heavy for me too handle! *ech* Well… I loved your other fic! Hope you keep writing too! ^_^

Luli451: Well, thanks! I really am flattered! *fluttered to the ground* (okay, that was corny, and you probably didn't get it anyway ;P) hope you keep reading! And yeah, more humor is good! 

The *Spangled* Pandemonium: Wow. You actually think that chapter was good? I thought it sucked! (I have low self- esteem *smirk*) Really, I wasn't in the mood much when I wrote it. Thanks! So glad you liked it! ^_^ 

Innocent Dreamer: Ahhh… Kenshin really didn't fit in there. Hehehe. You wanted me to insert him in and say 'oro' in the middle of the fight? *tries to imagine it but dies laughing* That'll be too weird. Hehehe.

Kmye- chan: Thanks so much! My ideas just sort of go *whoosh* in my head. My weirdness is the fuel of it all! *mwahahaha!* 

Yuki: Ahh… hope this chapter answered your questions! Hehehe… but I do believe I have one last surprise on the next chapter. *laughs evilly*

Selph: Thanks for reading! Glad you liked the plot… I am kind of twisted. 

Nekonomiko: Don't worry about Misao… she'll be the usual genki we all love! Wahehehe! Oh, can I ask you one thing? What's the literal, specific meaning of genki? I just sort of had an idea that it means optimistic, happy, blah blah… but I'm not quite sure. 

Nee: well, glad you loved it! I love it too! *hugs fic until it choked* Maa maa… 

A. Pikachu: Ahhhh. Shiro does that because he's evil (like me), wants power (like me), and he's deprived of love (like me)! Oh look. We have lots of similar traits! *grins like a fool* 

Chibi Angel: It's not yet the end! Obviously. I don't like mean endings, so don't worry about it. ^_^ Thanks for reading!

Makimachi Misao (FDSS): Hallo! Glad you still continue supporting my fic! *waii!* Anyway, I'm really sorry if I don't get to reply your e-mails… I really couldn't understand them. *facefault* Gomen! But thanks all the same! *grins*

JadOo: Wehehehe… you're such a meanie towards Kaoru. ;P Anyway, well, Misao's acting weird (I know, I know, she wouldn't really say 'my love' but I can't think of anything else! I was brainwashed too!) because she was brainwashed by Shiro. Evil Evil.

NatsuNoAme: Well… I'm not sure about that grand finale thing. I might put something… well… distinctly ME. If you look back at my other chappies, I'm mean. Sure, I'll put a nice ending where people are happy but… not all. ^_^ 

Raven Pendent: Wow, I never realized that people would still be starting to read this fic even if it already has 24 chaps! Thanks so much! ^_^ Hope you keep reading!

Prudence- chan: Hehehe… I hope this chapter satisfied you bloodlust. *rubs hands together* It's kind of a weird chap, but hey, you're the modernist! And I'm the symbolic eccentric author. *grins*

Phew! Well, that was long! Thanks minna-san so much for your support! Oh, by the way, do you want the next chapter to be a songfic? I wanted to put "I'm Still Here" by Googoo dolls. (of course!) Which is actually from the movie 'Treasure planet'. I fell in love with it the moment I first heard it! Wahahaha! Still, I'm having this internal debate if I'm going to put it or not. So I'm open to any ideas! 

Well, please read and review! Ja! ^_^


	25. I'm Still Here

Author's notes: BWAHAHAHA! I'm so sorry to keep you hanging like that. *wipes tears from eyes* heehee… I'm so evil. But hey, at least I'm updated fast, ne? Or did I… *scratch head* I lose count of the days. But what the heck. 

OHMIGOSH! Last chapter! Whoohoo!! I can't believe it… this is the evil end! I'm so happy, I'm going to complete my first fanfiction ever! Hahahaha!!! *grins widely*

Well, anyway, just wanted to thank you guys, as early as now, for your support! Without your touching, and often threatening, reviews, I wouldn't have finished this. I'm so touched! *bawls like a person receiving an Oscar and waves* Geesh. I'm getting overly- dramatic here. ~_~' Right. 

*sigh* Well, onwards to the last, but not the least (oh no, DEFINITELY not the least) chapter… here it is! *drum roll and spotlight please* 

Disclaimer: *hugglez disclaimer boy* I'm going to miss you… NOT! Hahahaha! I'm going to get rid of you forever! Well, until I write another Fanfiction, that is. 

Okay. Fine fine. I don't own **"I'm Still Here" By John Rzeznik** (Googoo dolls) from the soundtrack of Treasure Planet. (haven't seen it yet *sob*) *glares at DB* 

The Vampire Aoshi

Bye Tesuka- chan

__

Shiro laughed harshly. "Too late." And he released the fireball. 

Kenshin drew back, surprised and alarmed. 

No… Misao and Aoshi… it's heading right towards them! 

* * *

"AOSHI! MISAO!" Kenshin cried out, but it was too late. The ball of power swiftly flew across the room towards them.

Misao vaguely heard a voice in her head, warning of impending danger, but she quickly brushed it away. _I don't care. At least Aoshi's with me now…_

Saitou, Megumi and Sano suddenly barged through the doors and stopped. Their eyes widened and gasps were heard as they grasped the situation.

The red ball crackled with power, coming closer to the couple.

Aoshi held his dear Misao close to him. _Even if I die now, I'll die happy. _

__

~~~

I am a question to the world  
Not an answer to be heard  
Or a moment that's held in your arms

~~~

The blast emitted a blood red splendor. 

Kenshin and the others ducked, avoiding the flying debris falling all around, but they couldn't take their eyes off the horrific sight in front of them. Red light exploded all around the room, making the sturdy walls vibrate and the massive, solid columns shake. The beautiful Morano glass windows shattered, and the spirals on the ceiling cracked and fell upon them like deadly rain. The marble floors shook and cracked. Screams and pained cries could be heard… and evil laughter. Everything was in chaos.

Then it stopped. 

Kenshin coughed, covered in gray dust. He quickly shook his head, dusting off the dirt. He stood up carefully, and realized that he didn't even have a scratch. He looked down at his hands, and barely saw the throbbing purple aura surrounding him before it vanished. _My powers protected me…_Then his head snapped up, remembering the others. "Sano! Megumi! Are you all right?"

*ACHOO!* 

"Yeah," Sano rubbed his itchy nose, "I'm okay. I'm here with Jo-chan. I think she fainted." He peeped out of the table. "Good thing this table was here…" he mumbled. He looked around and saw the Mibu wolf standing in the open, apparently not hurt. _How the hell did he evade that?_

Saitou's eyes gleamed as if saying, 'I've got my secrets.' Then he suddenly spoke out, "Hey Kenshin?"

Kenshin was already on his way to the other end of the hall.

"Hehehe…" a hoarse voice laughed maniacally. "They're dead! It hit them smack in the middle! No one can survive that! Haha!" 

Sano scowled, "Shut up, you bastard!" He pinned the crazed Shiro to the floor, anger filling his whole being. "That's my cousin you're talking about! And if they really are dead, YOU won't die so easily. I'll torture you until you scream like a sissy!" 

Shiro just stared blankly at him, laughing like a crazed maniac. Sano punched him out cold.

Kenshin was digging under the rubble, where Misao and Aoshi stood just a few moments ago. His fingers scraped and tugged at the rocks and boulders. _Damn it… I won't let anyone die anymore! Misao! Aoshi! Be safe!_

* * *

__

~~~

And what do you think you'd ever say  
I won't listen anyway  
You don't know me  
And I'll never be what you want  
Me to be  
~~~

Misao opened her eyes. 

She was lying on a white floor, which was surprisingly warm. She sat up. _Wh- where am I?_

'Heaven.'

What?

Her eyes surveyed the pale surroundings, looking for the source of the voice. _What do you mean 'heaven'?_ _Who are you? _

Two people emerged on her right, a woman and a man. Misao noticed that the man had a peculiar contraption around his head, like a thin silver circlet. His dark blue hair was long, and it complemented his deep blue eyes. He had an air of authority and power around him, as if he was used to holding so much power. Misao's blue- green gaze rested on the woman… and gasped. _She looks like me! _

The woman's hair was long, reaching down to her mid- thigh. Her lovely face was full of life and love, and the same blue- green eyes glinted back at the girl sprawled on the floor. She was a lively woman, her aura clear and pure. 

__

Mother? 

The woman nodded reverently. _'Misao- chan. I've been waiting for you for a long time.' _When her head came up again, a smile brightly lit her beautiful face. _'I am Meia. And this big slab of ice beside me…' _she playfully looked at her husband, _'Is your father… Damon.'_

Damon smiled back down at his wife lovingly and shook his head. The he started towards Misao. _'You have come a long way, my child. Come and rest.'_

Misao tried to stand up, excitement and love filling her. Here at last were her parents! Her real parents! Then she collapsed back down, a hole inside of her suddenly aching, horribly painful. She clutched her chest, the pain coming to her in waves. _I must… I must find… _

__

'Are you all right, Misao- chan?'

Her pained blue eyes looked up to her parents. They seemed so far away… so hazy. _I'm sorry… I can't… I must find him. It hurts so…_

The couple looked at each other for a moment, communicating silently. Then Meia closed her eyes tightly, as if agreeing to something that she did not want to happen. Damon held her hands, giving comfort. Then both of them turned towards her. 

__

'You still have a long time ahead of you. Use it well.'

'Remember that we love you Misao. Though it hurts us to let you go once again, we want you to be happy.'

I love you too… mom and dad. Misao's eyes started to close as she cuddled back down, suddenly feeling asleep. _I'll find him. Don't worry about me. _She gave one last sigh and succumbed to a dreamless sleep.

__

~~~

And what  
Do you think you'd understand  
I'm boy, no, I'm a man  
You can't take me  
And throw me away  
~~~

Aoshi opened his eyes.

His surroundings were strange, hazy. A fine white mist covered the air around him, making it impossible to see more than a few meters before him. He blindly walked forward, his arms in front of him… _Where is…? _

He was searching for something. He had to find it, whatever it was. He knew that it was the only thing that could heal the pain inside. _Where is it? _

His heart began to beat erratically, his breath coming out in gasps. His vision began to blur… _Where is… she? _

__

She. 

Misao. 

His hand trembled as push them through his hair. He thought of the last time he was with her. They were together, and he though it would be forever then… but now…

I lost her again… maybe for good. A lone tear made its way down his cheeks, his face stoic but his emotions whirling around inside of him. _It might be for the best anyway. I don't deserve her. I never deserved her. _

__

Never.

He collapsed to the ground and gave in to the sweet oblivion of the dark.

__

~~~

And how  
Can you learn what's never shown  
Yeah, you stand here on your own  
They don't know me  
'Cause I'm not here  
~~~

She was walking, walking endlessly into the field of flowers. She was looking for something earlier, but the flowers were so distractingly beautiful that she couldn't resist picking some of them. She hummed a tune, happily arranging the bouquet of wild flowers in her arms. She walked on, feeling contented.

She was happy… 

… she really was…

… but she felt horribly alone. 

She stopped under the shade of an oak tree, resting her head against the trunk. She sighed, drinking in the fresh air. She began making a crown out of the flowers she collected. _'they'd be a crown fit for royalty!' _She smiled to herself… and heard a soft sigh coming from her right. 

Curious, she looked around the tree, and saw a tall, mysterious man. The man was sleeping peacefully his face turned towards her. She unconsciously held her breath as she stared at the beauty of his face, angular and perfect. Her blue- green eyes widened when his own fluttered open, revealing an endless pool of blue.

"H- hello." She hesitantly called out. She was awed by him. He was no one she'd ever seen in her whole life. 

The man smiled. "Hello." 

"I'm Misao. What's your name?"

"Aoshi."

__

Aoshi… somehow it suits him. She scooted over to him, smiling her big genki smile. Then something fell on the ground. She looked down and noticed the finished crown. She had an idea.

"Here… take it."

She shyly held out her hand, the crown of flowers resting on her petite hands. He looked at it curiously, his eyes puzzled. Misao lithely jumped up and bent down close to him, placing the crown on top of his head. She grinned at him and said, "There, now you look like the perfect prince." 

Aoshi didn't what happened to him, but he suddenly had the strong urge to close the few inches gap between them and kiss this woman softly in the lips, even though she's a complete stranger. And so he did.

Misao was surprised but she didn't complain. _It feels… so right._ She closed her eyes and leaned towards him, and they ended up hugging each other, her hands dangling lightly at his neck, his arms supporting her back, laying her against his chest. The kiss was sweet… and it connected something between them.

At last, they both pulled away and opened their eyes, one mirroring the other… both full of wonder and discovery. Their hearts beat the same beat, souls tremble the same tremor, minds think the same single thought…

__

I found you.

__

~~~

And I want a moment to be real  
Want to touch things I don't feel  
Want to hold on and feel I belong  
~~~

They embraced each other, not wanting to let go, not wanting this to end.

They embraced each other in the fields of their minds, wanting to touch, wanting to feel.

They embraced each other… mind, body, and soul.

__

~~~

And how can the world want me to change  
They're the ones that stay the same  
They don't know me  
'Cause I'm not here  
~~~

Amber light burst through the rubble, bits of dust, rocks, and stones flying everywhere. 

Kenshin flung back, astonished at the sight in front of him. 

A globe of semi- transparent, amber light rested in the place where Aoshi and Misao had once been… and now are. Inside, both were embracing each other, the air around them shimmering in the darkness. Their clothes changed, both robed in white. But besides that, there was something different about them… something complete and full. Kenshin smiled, the realization dawning upon him. They are in love… now and forever.

"What the fu – "

"Shut the hell up, rooster head!" Megumi said tonelessly, watching the scene in front of her. _They're beautiful, perfect for each other._ She sighed dreamily, catching the attention of Sano.

Sano wrapped his arms around Megumi, for once keeping quiet, watching.

Saitou turned his head away, mumbling something about one's privacy.

__

~~~

And you see the things they never see  
All you wanted - I could be  
Now you know me  
And I'm not afraid  
~~~

Misao opened her eyes, a light blue- green, happy beyond anything. "Thank you."

Aoshi butted his nose against hers, and whispered, "Your not welcome."

Her eyes clouded at those words. _What? What does he mean? I thought – _

"Not unless you agree to be my queen." The corner of his lips quirked up. "I know it's a step lower than being a goddess… but I really can't live without you."

Misao smiled, tears of joy streaming down her face. "Nor I, you…" She hugged him tightly, loving the feel of him. "Yes, of course! I agree!" She laughed as he whirled her around, both ecstatic and filled with love. 

The amber globe vanished, and all that's left is a thin shimmery mist that covered the dilapidated hall.

__

~~~

And I want to tell you who I am  
Can you help me be a man  
They can't break me  
As long as I know who I am  
~~~

Shiro lay on the floor, his face contorted, his soul black. _This cannot be! I have lost everything! My powers, my revenge… even my pride! _"NOOO!!!!" he screeched. He frantically stood up, looking for an escape. He ran.

__

Shit. Saitou swiftly followed after him, trying to catch up. _He's fast. _Shiro disappeared behind a fallen column, and Saitou, finally catching up, realized that's there was no way out from that corner. _I got you now…_

He turned and saw nothing. Only rocks and broken pieces of marble scattered around. He smashed his hand against the column, creating a huge crack. _Damn it! How could he have vanished into thin air?_ His eyes surveyed the little space before him again, looking at the corners, at the stones. Nothing. _Shit. _Then suddenly, a small brown insect peeped out from a tiny hole, its antennae feeling the air. It quickly took flight and flew up, getting farther away from the inspector. Saitou watched all this, something forming in his brain. _Shiro must've had some power left. To escape, no one should notice him, no one should realize that…_

Then Misao gave out a bloodcurdling scream. 

__

Damn it! What the hell's wrong now?

Across the room, Misao shivered, not in fear, but in anger. _Gosh, you'd think that after all that happened, things like THIS wouldn't pop out of nowhere, scaring the hell out of me, ruining the moment. _She simply bristled in anger, her ayes staring daggers. _Why I oughtta…_

Aoshi straightened his face before Misao could see his mirth. "Calm down Misao. It nothing but a – "

Misao turned her glare at him.

He shut up, twiddling his thumbs.

She went back to the task at hand, concentrating on her powers. _You're gonna die, COCKROACH! _Then it flew past her. She blasted… and missed. She kept on blasting and kept on missing, until she felt like she drained all of her power, trying to kill one stupid insect. _Damn… stupid insect… I swear I'm gonna… _Annoyed, she sat down on a fallen slab of marble, and heard a distinctive CRUNCH. 

"Whoops."

She hastily stood up, worrying if she was that heavy, being able to smash a hard marble. She looked down… and saw the cockroach, pretty badly smashed, but still moving its spiny legs. Misao smiled evilly. _You die now. _

*BLAST!*

All was left was a gaping hole on the floor, a meter deep. She smiled smugly and blew on her finger, her imaginary blasting machine. "And that's how you take care of annoying cockroaches!"

Aoshi couldn't help it. And at the astonishment of the people present, he laughed. He laughed so hard, his stomach hurt. He couldn't remember feeling this happy and free in… what, centuries? He finally toned down, feeling the stunned glare of his fiancée beside him. He hugged her tightly against him, love overflowing inside him. "You're the only one that can make me laugh like that, koishii." He smiled and gently kissed her. 

Misao's irritation faded away. She grinned at him after he pulled away. "Well, be ready for a few blasts time and time again." Still grinning, she pulled his head down towards her for a kiss.

From across the room, Saitou lit a victory cigar, inhaling deeply. _That was the easiest job ever. And I didn't even have to lift a finger. _He smiled cynically, remembering the roach that he had glimpsed on, moments after Shiro vanished. _You're damned unlucky, Shiro. _He inhaled that sweet, narcotic smell. 

__

~~~

And I want a moment to be real  
Want to touch things I don't feel  
Want to hold on and feel I belong  
  
And how can the world want me to change  
They're the ones that stay the same  
They don't know me  
'Cause I'm not here  
~~~

Kenshin stared out at the starry night. The sky was clear, revealing the fullness of the white moon, and the endless number of stars dotting the dark blue blanket. He leaned against the balcony and thought of the things that happened for the past week.

Misao was now Queen of Nifleheim, and the royal couple are currently 'fixing' things up. Yes, it would take a couple of months, years even, to eliminate all the evil and establish this place back its former glory. But at least the next generation would have a safe home, and there would be peace at last between humans and vampires. 

Everyone had wondered about what happened to Shiro. Saitou only smiled mysteriously and headed back to his 'kill evil instantly' routine, saying that he already took care of it and that "the bastard's" not going to bother anyone anymore. Ever. They all took his word, for he was always telling the truth, even from the start. 

Megumi and Sano, on the other hand, were touring in the Bahamas, or somewhere there in the pacific. _Those two are very much in love. _Kenshin smiled at that though, feeling only happiness for them both. 

A small funeral was held for Kaoru, when Misao heard about what happened. She had been devastated at the news, but being her own optimistic self, she stayed firm and said that Kaoru wouldn't want them to mourn for her. She would want them to rejoice her life, not mourn her death. So, with this in mind, Misao ordered a simple, white marble mausoleum built for her, and her body was place on top of a white marble slab and a thin white cloth was placed over her peaceful body. It was an age- old burial ritual for the nobility, which was rarely practiced now. Truly, Kaoru must be in heaven now.

Kenshin was trying to cope but he simply couldn't suppress the pain and the guilt. He couldn't stop thinking of the "what if's" and the "why's". It would be a hard healing process indeed, if he would ever heal. 

He sighed and looked blankly at the magnificent sky, seeing nothing. _It seems like I'm the only one. _He smiled half- heartedly. "Don't worry Kaoru, I won't kill. I promised you that and I never break my promise. Just wait for me. I'm still here."

He took a last breath of the clean, fresh air, and went inside the dark room. 

__

~~~

And how can the world want me to change  
They're the ones that stay the same  
They can't see me  
**But I'm still here**  
~~~

Author's last notes:

Ahh welll… *looks critically at own work* Not bad, eh? I hope. ^_^ *sigh* That was some story. Though if you want a peep on what I might write next, just scroll down past the thanks you's and what nots… there's a little excerpt there that might interest you. And it finishes the song! Heehee… I swear, the evil-ness in me is permanent. ;P

ARIGATO for my avid supporters! ^_^ (gosh, I'm gonna miss writing this *sob*)

Kmye- chan: hullo! Wow, you must have a pretty neat friend! People here in my country have dull, black hair, and if ever you see red, it's fake. ;P I guess that's also why I loved peculiar colored eyes… especially green! (you noticed? Haha! *grin*) Thanks for your never-ending reviews! Love them! ^_^

Kitiara: Well, they're not dead. Obviously. I'm a nice writer. Honest. (hides horns and tail) hehehe… Thanks so much for your support! 

Cko: Glad you liked the mochi balls! Hmmm… I guess your room must be pretty thrashed by now, eh? Everytime you review, you thrash your house! Geesh… I pity the one who cleans it up. hehehe… joke! Anyway, thank you very much for reviewing and supporting my fic! *yay!*

Chibi-ken14: Ah well… I didn't actually state that Aoshi died. He was just about to die. Hehehe. But that was mean of me, wasn't it? Gah. Next time I write, I'm going to be an angel. 0 :0) Wehehe… thanks for your support! Now, killing is baaaddd… you hear!? 

CardMistress Sakura: Gomen! I was getting tired of writing and I thought I'd stop there. Besides, it's exciting! Hahaha! Well, thanks so much for reading! ^_^

Noa: Heh. I just though it would be kinda weird and funny for the Harry Potter fans. ;P Well, I'm sure you'll get your 'groove' back. (yuck. I sound like a pathetic wannabe) Well, I get so flattered whenever you review! I read your fics even before I wrote… especially 'car trouble' *cough cough* Well, thanks so much and hope you keep writing! ^_^

Prudence- chan: Wow, I'm glad you're so enthusiastic about my story! Thanks for the undying support! I'm really happy about your reviews! ^_^

Innocent Dreamer: *sweatdrop* the "oro" would be uncalled for. Teehee… but, well, there's always a next time! Thanks for reviewing almost every time! Am truly flattered, even though you demand for Kenshin almost all the time. Hehehe. 

DarkFairy: YOU I have lots to thanks for! Ummm… Well… to start of… GAH! Well, I just want to thank you for supporting my fic from the start! It's really nice that people would come back for my fic over and over. *sob sob* Really is touching! ^_^ THANK YOU!! And you haven't continued your fic! *pout* I'm going to watch out for that! 

Selph: I didn't kill them off!! *huff huff* Well, I did but I brought them back to life, didn't I? Teeheehee… I love those stuff. Thanks so much for your reviews! 

The *Spangled* Pandemonium: Oh YOU! *bawls* I want to really thank you for being there from the start! You're a great reviewer and supporter! I love your reviews!! *grins* They really light up my day! heehee… well, I hope this is not the end! If I write more, will you read them? *puppy-dog eyes* 

Dragowolf: eh? You're really gonna burn me? I want medium rare please! *grins* haha… well, thanks for the short reviews! They really are cool! I'll try my best to come up with the next story… I think I already have something in mind. But it might be original. *smile* Well, thanks!

Tanuki (jo-chan): Wow! Your effort is really appreciated! Totally love it… thanks so much for your support! The important thing is I get to share my unbelievable ideas, reviews aren't much important. (minnie me: *smirk* yeah right.) *glares at minnie me* shut up! *bonks!* Well, thanks! 

Luli451: Sorry. I couldn't resist putting the cliffhanger! It pulls… me… to… it! GAH! Hehe. Well, thanks so much for your reviews! And you're the only one who told me to go for the songfic. :P figures that not much people read my a/n eh? Haha… well, Thanks for everything! ^_^

Sweet_lemon: Hmmm… a hentai at heart, eh? Hahaha! I'm just kidding. Well, they 'are' since they're together. I really didn't go to the details of their relationship. Well, thanks for reading! Totally happy! ^_^ ladeedaaa!!

Zackire: Yep. It's the thrill, the suspense, the death threats! I just love death threats, don't you? Okay. I am officially crazy. ;P Well, thanks for your undying support! I've seen your reviews a couple of times and I'm really glad you keep returning to my fiction! It really means a lot! Thanks! 

JadOo: Hehehe… satistifed your bloodlust? Teeheehee… and what a nice ending too! I'm weird. BWAHAHAHA! Well, thank you so much for your support! Your reviews rock! Haha! ^_^

Kate: KATE!!!! Ano ba! Gah… I'm so going to look for your name in fp.net! harumph! ~_~ Well, subject-verb agreement ain't my strongest points. But I try! ^_^ thanks so much for enduring this… even though it crap compared to your wonderfully wonderful stories! Hahaha! I'll go hunting later! Hmph…

Argentum Draco: hallo! Well, thanks for your reviews! I'm just wondering, do you like HP? With the Draco and all… (malfoy) haha. Well, thanks so much! 

Raven Pendent: Wah! Thanks for reading! I'm super glad you read my fic even though it's on its way to the end. Heehee.. thanks! ^_^

Nee: Wow, thanks so much for the flattering comment! I do hope this chapter was fantastic… though I'm not sure. I really can't criticize my own. *did a double-take* did you say ME/US?! There's more of your reading this??? WAIII!! I'm so happy!! ^_^ Thanks so much for reviewing! ^_^

Nekonomiko: Arigatoo gozaimasu! You're really very helpful! I've been wondering about that… and now I know, it really makes sense! (minnie me: uhoh… you shouldn't have told her that. *hears 'genki' chants in the background* She's not gonna stop now! Waaahhh!!) NYAAHAHAHA!! *EVIL EVIL GRIN* thanks so much for you unwavering support! ^_^

Oh geesh… *sobs* I'm gonna miss ya'll! Well, until I write my next story, but that might be 3 weeks from now! (tests, projects, and more tests!!! We've got finals then it's summer! HAHAHAHA!!!) ß that's what I like about tropical countries, earlier summers! Hehe. 

Well, once again, thanks for all the support, minna- san! I LOVE YOU ALL!! Sayonara! ^_^

Tesuka- chan!!! ^_^

__

~~~

They can't tell me who to be  
'Cause I'm not what they see  
Yeah, the world is still sleepin' while I keep on dreaming for me  
And their words are just whispers and lies that I'll never believe

~~~

The soft breeze lifts up the frail leaf, swirling it around and around, travelling from the castle garden towards the small hill that can be seen from the farthest tower on the castle. It slowly falls, swaying, on the first step of marble. On that hill, a marvelous piece of art and architecture was put up beside a great Sakura tree.

The White Mausoleum. 

The entrance was magnificent. The four columns, two columns on each side, framed the huge doors, almost indistinguishable except for the very fine lines where the marble was cut through. Upon entering, one would come across a small, charming garden, the roof open in the middle. In the center of the garden was a pond, and on it, steps leading to a white island in the midst of it. And on that island, is a tomb.

On top of that tomb lies a pale beauty, of marble- like complexion, flawless and pale. Her long ebony hair, as dark as night, is spread on her right side, gleaming and shining under the pale moonlight. A very fine piece of see- through cloth covers her body, from her toes to the top of her head. 

****

"Here she lies until the end of time…

__

~~~

And how can you say I'll never change  
They're the ones that stay the same  
I'm the one now  
'Cause I'm still here  
~~~

Long, dark lashes flutters open, revealing two deep pools of endless silver blue.

The first breath.

The first movement.

She blinks and sits up carefully, feeling weak for lack of nourishment. She could smell everything, see anything… even the movement of the black butterfly yonder flower. 

And she's hungry… so hungry.

Long pointed fangs grow as she smells fresh blood.

****

… or will she?"

__

~~~

I'm the one

'Cause I'm still here

****

… I'm still here

~~~

---OWARI---

---THE EVIL END---


End file.
